Giuseppe Silvestri

Giuseppe Silvestri (1841-1921) was an Italian classical composer and mandolin virtuoso. He is principally remembered today for his role as a mandolinist and for his composition Serenade d'Autrefois (Serenata medioevale or Serenade of Olden Times). He was a celebrated teacher of the mandolin in Naples and Paris, and he became popular enough to get the criticism that he was causing Parisians to leave the piano for the mandolin. His fame spread after the Paris Exhibition of 1878, in which he performed to enthusiastic crowds and reviews.