Giovanni Mane Giornovichi

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Giovanni Mane Giornovichi (also Ivan Mane Jarnović) (29 November 1747 — 23 November 1804), was an outstanding Italian violinist and composer of the 18th century. He had a truly European career, playing, composing and conducting in Paris, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Scandinavia and England. He was a pupil of Antonio Lolli and admired Joseph Haydn. From 1773 he lived in Paris.

Giornovichi was born in Palermo, Sicily. Between 1779 and 1781 he was first violinist in the orchestra of the Crown Prince Frederick William II of Prussia. He also played the first violin in the orchestra of the Russian empress Catherine II. He died in Saint Petersburg.

Giornovichi composed about 50 chamber instrumental pieces, 22 violin concerts (17 preserved), and is known for having introduced the romanza as a slow movement into the structure of the violin concert. His life is described in a novel, Giornovichi by G. Desnoisterres (pub. le Brisoys, Paris 1844), and in a collection Scènes de la vie d'artiste by P. Smith ("Une leçon de Giornovichi" - pub. Paris, 1844).