My Approach

Violinmaking today

The last 20 years of violinmaking brought an enormous increase in quality. I dare say that some of the best makers today can easily be compared to the best Cremonese makers (at least, not later than 300 years from now, when time has added the charm of natural wear to the instrument). We have far more technical information than ever before, which is mainly the merit of our American colleagues. Not only do they like to go deep into scientific research on sound and varnish qualities, but they also are kind enough to publish the results of their research in readable language. European violinmakers traditionally tend to be "secret-keepers". Thirty years ago when I started my training in Mittenwald, very little material was available and full-size photos of beautiful old instruments were practically non-existent. To find varnish ingredients was like playing treasure-hunting and to buy oils and resins we had to get together in large groups, because only big stocks were available. Today editors and violin-accessories- shops take a big and successful effort to ease the life of a modern violinmaker.
Also in our little craft-world globalization has begun. Gifted violinmakers are no longer confined to specific countries. Many of them, like myself, have worked in different shops and thus collected experiences in restoration and construction techniques, as well as in knowledge of valuable old instruments. I cannot deny though that living in Italy gives a very thorough insight to what the art and the life of a past maker could have been. Art and history is so present in daily life that anyone who wants, gets a constant natural training for beauty, artistic freedom and perfect proportions.