Advanced players looking for their first professional viola should definitely consider trying a Stopka instrument. The sound qualities of this Stopka viola are big, rich and full of color. We have sampled contemporary instruments from many good American violin makers and we have found Wladek Stopka’s violas to compete very well even with instruments of a much higher price.

Wladek (Walter) Stopka has been a violin, viola, and cello maker for over 30 years.
Born and raised in Poland, Stopka started practicing violin making in 1978 in Krakow Poland in the shop of a very well known Polish Violin Maker.In 1989 Stopka emigrated to the U.S. with his family. For the last 20 years Stopka has been making instruments in his own shop located in the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago, IL.

Stopka makes violas in 3 different sizes; a 16.5 inch viola, a 16 inch viola, and a 15 3/4 inch viola, all built on his personal model. Stopka uses high quality, old European wood for all his instruments. Stopka makes his own oil varnish with deep shades of reddish brown which results in a very attractive rich color.

We are big fans of Stopka’s violas, we have sold a number of his instruments to advanced young violists in the San Francisco Youth Orchestra and students at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

• Year Made – 2017, Chicago Illinois 
• Labeled – Wladek Stopka, Violin Maker, Chicago IL 2017, 595
• Length of Back – 16.5″ (419mm)
• Condition – Excellent