Raffaele Calace, second son of the luthier Antonio, received his musical education at the Conservatory of Naples, where he studied violin; but he graduated in composition under the guidance of Paolo Serrao and Francesco Ancona. His musical activity was devoted above all to plucked string instruments, and he became a virtuoso performer on them and a composer of music for them.

Calace – contrary to what one might expect, considering the great number of pieces that have been published for this combination of instruments – composed a version for mandolin and guitar only of the works presented here: they are still present and available for this combination of instruments in the present-day catalogue of the Calace Editions.