Considered one of the finest makers of the modern Milanese school, Giuseppe Ornati, born in Milan in 1887, began his career at a very young age, making plucked instruments such as mandolins and guitars before making his first violin at the age of 13. He studied with Carlo Moneta prior to joining the workshop of …
Giovanni Paolo Maggini was born in Botticino, Italy in 1580 and, at while quite young, moved to Brescia to train with master violin maker Gasparo da Salò. Both are widely acclaimed as the most important instrument makers of the Brescian school. Maggini worked for da Salò for twenty years before going his own way and …
Giovanni Paolo Maggini – Violin Maker (1580 – c. 1630) Read More »
In 1856, at the age of fourteen, Pierre Joseph Hel (known as Joseph Hel) began his 5-year apprenticeship as a violin maker in Mirecourt under the direction of Francois Salzard and then proceeded to work in Paris for Sébastien Vuillaume in Paris and Nicolas Darche. Between 1861-1865, he worked in numerous workshops in Mirecourt. In …
Pierre Hel, son of world-renowned violin maker Pierre Joseph Hel, inherited his father’s studio in Lille after his passing in 1902. His approach to violin-making began to take shape at the conservatory in Lille and then at the Conservatoire Royal de La Haye (Den Haag). It is reported that Pierre apprenticed under Gustave Bazin (1871-1920) …
Why is Pernambuco wood the best choice for fine bows? As Vienna Philharmonic violinist Günter Seifert said, “Some people think a bow is only wood and hair, but the bow can be more essential to expressing the soul of the music than the violin is.” The slightest change in a bow’s weight or balance will …
As a descendant of Stradivari Carlo Bergonzi and a spiritual successor to Guarneri, Michele Angelo Bergonzi (1721-1758) was the final representative of Cremona’s violin-making tradition in the mid-eighteenth century. His work reflects his impressive pedigree while also reflecting the struggles facing his city and industry. Bergonzi took over Casa Stradivari following his father’s death in …
Michele Angelo Bergonzi – Violin Maker – Cremona Read More »
Thomas Croen is an Oregon-based luthier whose instruments are the product of two lifelong passions: music and woodworking. He has been honing his craft since training at the Violin Making School of America in the 1970s. Croen’s violins combine classical aesthetics with modern creativity. His wealth of experience with violin restoration has given him the …
Born in Bavaria, luthier David Tecchler (c.1666-1747) established himself in Rome by his late twenties. His early years remain a mystery, including the location of his training and even his real name (Tecchler is thought to be a Latinization of Dechler or Teckler). In Rome, Tecchler found a home among German artisans who had fled …
Felix Albert Caressa (1866-1939) and Henri Français (1861-?) met when they were both employed by the Gand & Bernandel workshop in Paris. Français was born into a family steeped in both of Mirecourt’s legendary exports: violins and lace. He apprenticed under Darte before moving to Paris to work for Gand & Bernandel in 1880, and …
Archetier Pierre Simon (1808-1881) was born into Mirecourt’s bow-making tradition. He apprenticed in his hometown, quickly distinguishing himself both for craftsmanship and an outgoing, if rowdy, personality. In 1838, Simon moved to Paris to work for Dominique Peccatte. However, two years later, Simon moved to Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume’s workshop, where he produced some of the famed …
