(b Bologna, Aug 1, 1685; d Bologna, Aug 16, 1748), Pietro Giuseppe Sandoni was an Italian composer and harpsichordist. A pupil of Angelo Predieri and Giovanni Bononcini in counterpoint, he was taught the harpsichord by Francesco Salardi. In 1698 he was organist at the Bolognese church of S Giacomo Maggiore. He was admitted to the Accademia Filarmonica in 1700 as organist and two years later was promoted to the rank of composer. He served as principe in 1713, 1714, 1739 and 1745. Known chiefly as a harpsichordist, he travelled to Vienna, Munich and London, 1715–16, where his keyboard improvisations were compared with those of Handel. He also taught singing and probably contributed music to Pyrrhus and Demetrius in 1716. In 1722 Handel sent him to Venice to bring back the famous soprano Francesca Cuzzoni; the two were married on 12 January 1725. [Source: Grove Music Online]
