Ernst Heinrich Roth – Violin Maker – Markneukirchen

Ernst Heinrich Roth (1877-1948)

Born in the legendary violin-making center of Markneukirchen, Ernst Heinrich Roth displayed a remarkable musical talent from an early age. He had perfect pitch and quickly became proficient on violin, viola, cello, piano, and trumpet. As he matured, Roth began apprenticing in his father, Gustav Robert Roth’s workshop. He then traveled throughout Austria, Hungary, Russia, and France, working under a wide variety of luthiers and honing his craft.

Roth returned to Markneukirchen to open his own atelier in 1902. His exceptional artistry was immediately apparent and made him a highly-sought after luthier. Roth’s workshop produced a wide variety of instruments, most of them modeled after the Baroque Cremonese masters. By 1921, the firm had expanded enough that Roth sent his son, Ernst Heinrich II, to explore American markets for their instruments, creating the Scherl & Roth brand. Roth’s violins became a particular favorite of violinist and founder of the Violin Society of America, Eric Chapman.

Roth’s long-lasting, international success is as much due to effective branding as top-notch craftsmanship. To combat the fake instruments that flooded the market as soon as the firm gained notoriety, Roth developed a cataloguing system. Authentic Roth violins have a serial number and bear the label “Ernst Heinroch Roth,” as well as the year, maker, and model. Buyers also received a certificate of authenticity.

Like most Markneukirchen workshops, the Roth firm was hit hard by World War II and Soviet rule. Roth died in 1948, but his legacy lived on. In 1953, Ernest Heinrich II moved the workshop to Bubenreuth, and the business continues today. Modern players still value Roth’s instruments, particularly those made in the 1920s and 1930s, for their superior tone quality and craftsmanship.