Alessandro Rolla was a composer, violinist, teacher, and conductor of the Classical era. He was born in Pavia, Italy in 1757, only one year after Mozart, and died in 1841, at the age of 84, in Milan where he lived most of his life. He worked for several orchestras as a viola and violin player. Later, he became the leader and orchestra conductor at the famous Scala in Milan, and performed many famous works by Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Rolla is also famous for being Niccolò Paganini’s professor, teaching him many virtuoso techniques that are still studied today by musicians and composers.  

Rolla lived the high life in Milan, mixing with many artists of that time. He left behind a large repertoire of more than 500 works, among them the famous Concertino for viola and strings in E flat major, which has been recorded and performed many times and is still widely available today.