Paolo Coriani
Paolo Coriani is one of Italy's most respected master luthiers, based in Modena, with over four decades of experience crafting fine classical guitars. His journey into the world of lutherie began in 1975, when he took on an apprenticeship at the Masetti Workshop in Modena, a celebrated family of guitar makers whose history dates back to 1900. After five years of intensive training, Coriani completed his apprenticeship in 1980 and, in 1984, opened his own workshop, where he initially built both hurdy-gurdies and classical guitars inspired by the popular designs of José Ramírez III and Masaru Kohno.
A defining turning point in Coriani's development came with his discovery of the work of Richard Schneider and Michael Kasha, which introduced him to the scientific study of guitar acoustics and vibrational behavior. This led him to explore more modern approaches to construction, including the methodical work of the French master Daniel Friederich, who collected detailed data on wood flexibility and weight during the building process. Equally influential was Coriani's encounter with Christian Aubin, a Parisian concert guitarist and luthier specializing in copies of the famous 1867 Torres FE23. The depth of sonority of this Torres guitar deeply impressed Coriani and sparked his lifelong fascination with late 19th-century Spanish instruments.
In 1993, Coriani attended a guitar-making course in Córdoba led by José Luis Romanillos, focused on Andrés Segovia's 1912 Manuel Ramírez guitar. This experience cemented his admiration for the Spanish tradition and inspired years of research into early 20th-century Spanish makers such as Enrique García, Santos Hernández, and Domingo Esteso. In the early 1990s, he also deepened his acoustic knowledge through the work of bow maker Giovanni Lucchi and his velocity tester for tonewood selection. Today, Coriani's guitars represent a continual synthesis of traditional Spanish methods and modern scientific understanding, drawing inspiration from the great masters: Torres, Ramírez, Hauser, García, and Hernández.
Coriani has earned numerous international awards throughout his career, including 3rd Prize at the 1984 Bagnacavallo Young Luthiers Competition for a hurdy-gurdy, 1st Prize for a classical guitar at the 1986 Bagnacavallo National Competition, and both 1st Prize and the prestigious "Baveno" Award at the 1st International Classical Guitar Making Competition in Baveno in 1993. Since 1986, he has been regularly invited to lecture at specialized schools and classical guitar seminars, has served on competition juries, and has trained apprentices. His instruments are celebrated worldwide for their warmth, harmonic depth, refined precision, and unmistakably poetic singing voice — qualities that place him among Italy's most distinguished classical guitar makers.
