Franco Mezzena, born in Trento, studied under Salvatore Accardo, with whom he graduated with top honors and distinction. He then continued his advanced studies for several years at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena and the Hochschule in Freiburg (Germany).

His activity as a soloist and in various chamber music ensembles has taken him to the most prestigious theaters and major festivals throughout Europe, Japan, the United States, Central and South America. He recently performed again in Rome, in the renowned season “I Concerti del Quirinale di Radio 3,” broadcast live on Euroradio from the Cappella Paolina of the Quirinal Palace, performing music by F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy with Roberto Prosseda. He also enjoyed tremendous success at Carnegie Hall in New York, where he performed Mendelssohn’s Concerto Op. 64, conducted by John Rutter.

He has performed with renowned artists such as Salvatore Accardo, Bruno Battisti D’Amario, Julius Berger, Arturo Bonucci, Umberto Cafagna, Bruno Canino, Roberto Fabbriciani, Rocco Filippini, Naomi Fujiya, Severino Gazzelloni (in duo for over 20 years with Stefano Giavazzi), Bruno Giuranna, Johannes Goritzki, Jacques Klein, Alain Meunier (in duo for many years with his father Bruno Mezzena), Andrea Noferini, Alberto Nones, Antony Pay, Franco Petracchi, Claudio Piastra, Ruggiero Ricci, Eros Roselli, Massimo Scattolin, Hariolf Schlichtig, Giovanni Sollima, among others. His concerts and interviews have been broadcast by RAI, BBC, ABC, NBC, Vatican Radio, WSKG, WGBH Boston, NHK Television Japan, KBS Korea, and more.

Franco Mezzena is internationally known for his vast discography—over 100 CDs—recorded for labels such as Luna Rossa Classic, Odradek Records, Brilliant Classics, Newton Classics, Wide Classique, Dynamic, Ricordi, Symposium, Rivo Alto, Nuova Era, and E.M.S. Arcobaleno. He recorded, in a world premiere for Dynamic, the complete set of 29 violin concertos by G.B. Viotti in their original orchestration, as soloist and conductor with Symphonia Perusina and the Milano Classica Orchestra (10-CD box set). He also recently completed the complete works for piano and violin by L. van Beethoven for Wide Classique, together with pianist Stefano Giavazzi (4-CD box set). As the first violin of the Quartetto Viotti, he recorded the complete string quartets by G.B. Viotti for Brilliant Classics.

He has received widespread acclaim from specialized critics, with reviews, interviews, and covers in Fanfare, American Record Guide, New York Times, Washington Post, Gramophone, FonoForum, Diapason, L’Ame et la Corde, The Strad, CD Classics, Musica, Suonare News, among others. He has taught violin at the Conservatories of Trento, Pescara, and Bari.

He regularly conducts advanced courses and masterclasses in Italy and abroad, including: Royal College and Trinity College London, University of Oxford (Hertford College), Chetham’s School of Music Manchester, Conservatories of Mantua, Cagliari, Perugia, Trento, and Messina, Leipzig (F. Mendelssohn Hochschule), Sant’Antioco, Musica Riva Festival, Alghero, Naples, Orvieto Strings Academy, Rotterdam, Académie d’Eté d’Andé, Ticino Musica Festival (Locarno-Ascona), Barcelona, Mexico City, Tokyo, Muroran, Osaka, Kitakyushu, Ibaraki, etc.

He is also active as an orchestra conductor, having worked with the Ljubljana Symphony Orchestra, Teatro Regio Orchestra of Turin, Milano Classica Chamber Orchestra, Viotti Chamber Orchestra, Symphonia Perusina, Pescara Symphony Orchestra, Interpreti Italiani, Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra, and others. From 2005 to 2010, he was appointed by RAI (Italian National Broadcasting) as a full member of the selection committee for the EUYO (European Union Youth Orchestra).

In 2015, he was awarded the Napoli Cultural Classic Prize for excellence (Music section).

In 2018, he founded the crossover group “Metamorphosis” with various artists.

He plays a 1695 Antonio Stradivari violin (ex Kayser), as well as instruments crafted by Fabio Nicotra (Palermo 2022), Giovanni Osvaldo Fiori (Treviso 2018), and Roberto Regazzi (Bologna 1998).

He uses bows crafted by Raffaele Pio Campagna of Bari (Raffarchè).

He is the Artistic Director of the Lecce and Salento Chamber Orchestra and also Artistic Director of the recording label Luna Rossa Classic.

He teaches annual advanced violin and chamber music courses at the AIMART Academy in Rome, the Ensemble Serenissima Academy in Sacile (PN), and in Messina at the Annibale di Francia Theater for the Messina Chamber Orchestra Association.