Carlo Antonio Gambara was an Italian mandolinist and composer in the early 19th century. He composed works during a time when interest in mandolin music was stagnant. He was also a knight of the Order of the Couronne de Fer, born a nobleman. He attended a college for the sons of nobility at Parma, studying mandolin there for eight years, under Caunetti, maestro di cappella.
He was referred to by the title Cavaliere in Philip J. Bone's musician's biography. The Order of the Iron Crown (Couronne de Fer) was an honorary order founded on 5 June 1805 in Milan by Napoleon I, acting as king of the Kingdom of Italy (1805-1814), on the model of the Legion of Honor. The order was restored in Milan by the Emperor of Austria, King of Lombard-Venetian Kingdom, in 1816.
Works
Gambara's compositions are principally instrumental, and include: