olin ▁" had ▁never ▁entered ", ▁and ▁taught ▁at ▁the ▁Conserv atory ▁Pol lin i ▁of ▁Pad ua ▁( hold ing ▁" First ▁Chair .") ▁He ▁also ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁gain ▁access ▁to ▁manuscript s ▁in ▁museum s , ▁redis cover ing ▁ ▁works ▁by ▁V ival di , ▁Per g oles i , ▁Be eth oven ▁and ▁many ▁others . ▁ ▁An ed da ▁started ▁out ▁a ▁child ▁pro dig y , ▁who ▁began ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁viol in ▁ ▁at ▁ 5 ▁years ▁old , ▁but ▁had ▁to ▁switch ▁to ▁mand olin ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁family ' s ▁in ability ▁to ▁afford ▁a ▁viol in . ▁He ▁was ▁performing ▁in ▁the ater ▁and ▁the ▁opera ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁old . ▁While ▁still ▁young , ▁he ▁also ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁professional ▁performing ▁group , ▁the ▁Quart etto ▁Kar alis , ▁with ▁F lav io ▁Corn ac chia ▁( m and ola ), ▁Giovanni ▁Sc ano ▁( gu itar ), ▁and ▁Mass imo ▁P ire dd a ▁( 2 nd ▁mand olin ). ▁ ▁He ▁en list ed ▁with ▁the ▁police ▁at ▁the ▁Pal azzo ▁Re ale ▁di ▁Napoli ▁( Ro yal ▁Palace ▁of ▁Nap les ), ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁there ▁had ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁comp ete ▁in ▁a ▁musical ▁composition ▁organized ▁by ▁the ▁Opera ▁Nazionale ▁D opol av oro ▁( Ital ian ▁F asc ist ▁le is ure ▁and ▁recre ational ▁organization ) ▁winning ▁for ▁two ▁straight ▁years . ▁ ▁He