Luigi (aka, Frank) was initially trained in the Suzuki Method in Rochester, NY under the instruction of Joyce Dumm and Virginia Wensel with whom he completed the 10-book course. Both instructors gave him a solid foundation in ear training which is a fundamental emphasis of this method. He then went on to study with former Eastman School of Music Professor Oliver Steiner, a disciple of such violinist greats as Ivan Galamian and Nathan Milstein. Mr. Steiner was a pivotal part in Luigi’s eventual desire to become a violinist. He has a wonderful and loving devotion to the violin and takes great care and attention to his students. The other major inspiration for Mr. Peracchia during this time was attending Interlochen Music Camp in Traverse City, Michigan during the summers of 1983/84–a magical place where he was immersed in a sea of world-class young musicians.
Mr.Peracchia then went on to receive dual BAs in Natural Sciences/Music and a Master of Violin Performance in Cleveland Ohio (Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Music respectively). There his major violin instructors were Paul Statsky, James Stern, David Updegraff and Donald Weilerstein. It was during this time, that Luigi developed an interest in chamber music, especially string quartet playing. During the summers, he attended Charles Castleman’s Quartet Program and the Chautauqua Music Festival. It was there that he met life-long friend and violist Charlton Lee. The two of them embarked on forming a string quartet and the Del Sol String Quartet was born in San Francisco in 1992.
In its humble beginnings, Del Sol was apprenticed by members of the Alexander String Quartet at San Francisco State University. Mr Peracchia and the quartet were adjunct faculty at SFSU and were tasked to coach chamber music and run weekly masterclasses to the undergrad students when the Alexander was concertizing. During this time, the Del Sol was privileged to attend the Banff Festival in Alberta province in Canada where they had the great opportunity to work with wonderful teachers including Lorand Fenyves and Zoltan Szekely. Mr. Szekely was a close friend and associate of Béla Bartók, the Hungarian composer who composed 6 wonderful string quartets and the Del Sol Quartet had the distinct pleasure of being coached by Mr. Szekely on Bartók’s 3rd Quartet.
In late 1994, Luigi Peracchia joined the Sausalito String Quartet which one 3 prestigious national chamber music competitions–Coleman, Carmel and Fischoff. They were invited to study at the famed Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals in their advanced string quartet seminars. The Sausalito received inspired coachings from member of the Juilliard, Guarnieri, Concord, and Meliora string quartets and expert guidance from Mark Sokol, Paul Hersh, Ian Swensen and Bonnie Hampton as well as other faculty members of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Luigi’s career transitioned into Orchestral playing from 1998 onward. He began auditioning for orchestral appointments and soon got a tenured position in the Charleston Symphony in Charleston, SC. He continued with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra as principal 2nd violin and member of the Montclaire String Quartet. In addition, Peracchia earned a tenure-track position in the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra of the acclaimed Chautauqua Institute in 2006. He developed hand/arm issues on the violin during this time which led to a soul-searching 2-3 year hiatus from his career as a professional violinist in 2009.
Currently he lives in Paris, Virginia with his lovely wife Nancy Prestipino, pianist, and is in the process of building a teaching studio that will enable him to share his passion and knowledge of the art of playing the violin with students of all ages and levels. As a performer himself, Luigi Peracchia regularly enjoys performing string quartets with the members of Moonlit in the Sun and with wife and pianist Nancy as a violin/piano duo.
Luigi looks forward to the honor and opportunity of sharing his joy and gift for the violin with you–his next student!