Italian bassoonist Paolo Carlini is among a small fraternity of artists considered world class on this difficult instrument. He studied with Klaus Thunemann, Michael Werba, and Marco Constantini and graduated from the Conservatorio di Musica Frescobaldi di Ferrara. While he played the bassoon in a multitude of orchestras in Italy, Carlini established himself as a chamber musician, which has brought him around the world, frequently as a member of the period-instrument group I Virtuosi Italiani. Carlini has served very conspicuously as an advocate of contemporary music for his instrument and has commissioned works from Luciano Berio, Jean Françaix, Sylvano Bussotti, and Alessandro Solbiati, among others. Carlini has recorded for Chandos, Bongiovanni, Tactus, Fonè, Edipan, Materiali Sonori, Frame, and Diapason. Carlini is on the faculty of the Instituto Musicale Mascagni in Livorno