EarlyMusicNews.Org

"Ian Watchorn began his professional career as a maker & repairer of instruments in Sydney, Australia in 1976, moving to Canberra in 1979.

1982 received grants from Australia Council and NSW Premiers Department to study musical instrument conservation at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg, Germany under Friedemann Hellwig and John Henry van der Meer.

1984 accepted the post of conservator at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, and was later acting senior conservator there before returning to Australia in 1987.

1987 - 1990 worked on the conservation and collection development for the musical instrument collection at the Power House Museum, Sydney, and later as curator of the same collection.

1990 - present working privately as maker, conservator & consultant in Melbourne, Australia.

Added on: Mar 06, 2008 | Hits: 734

"... Following a year of national service as an auxiliary fireman, I began my apprenticeship in the Milan workshop of the master violinmaker Celestino Farotto in 1979. I left my university studies to enrol in the Scuola Internazionale di Liuteria (IPIALL, the International School of Violinmaking) in Cremona and in the Professional Training Courses (CPF) of the Lombardy Region; the latter courses were directed by the master bowmaker Giovanni Lucchi in Cremona. After receiving my diploma as a BOWMAKER in 1982, I stayed on for an additional year of post-graduate training under Maestro Lucchi. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 06, 2008 | Hits: 668

"I started my training as violin maker in Jochen Voigt in 1979.

I gained more valuable experience from many abroad including the violin builder Alexander Krylov at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

With my longtime companion Jens-Uwe Ott I work in my workshop. ... " (Google translation) Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 23, 2008 | Hits: 664

“Many years ago I saw a black & white Spencer Tracey Film Called “Captains courageous”.  Spencer’s character played a bizarre mechanical fiddle called a Hurdy Gurdy. From that point this instrument fascinated me. Finding one to play was not very easy, so it was sometime before I was courageous enough to make one. I had never seen a hurdy gurdy in the flesh before. This made troubleshooting a long and sometimes painful process. My intension was to make a quick and dirty hurdy gurdy by converting an old guitar. In the end I put more work and detail into it and ended up with a very playable instrument that I named George. From then on I was hooked. ..“  (Graeme McCormack) Hurdy-gurdy plans are also offered on the site.

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Sep 20, 2009 | Hits: 598

"Canadian Bowmaker Michael Vann was trained in New York City in the shop of the world renowned master Bowmaker William Salchow. Since embarking on his career in 1975 he has won six international and more than a dozen Canadian awards for his bows which have been acquired by such notables as Pierre Fournier, Ruggiero Ricci, Steven Dann, Steven Staryk, Eugene Fodor, Sidney Harth, Gwen Hoebig, Gabriel Magyar, (Hungarian String Quartet), The New Brunswick String Quartet (Canada), The Franciscan String Quartet (U.S.A.) The Colorado Strings Quartet, (U.S.A.), The Manfred String Quartet. (France), The St. Lawrence String Quartet, The Miro String Quartet, just to name a few.

They are in use by members of symphony orchestras in Amsterdam, Chicago, Montreal, New York, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St.Paul, Tokyo, Paris, Toulouse, Nice, Copenhagen, Salzburg, Dusseldorf and many others.

He has also made bows for the Royal House of Denmark.

He also makes Conductor Batons for such maestros as Mario Bernardi. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 06, 2008 | Hits: 589

"As a harp maker I recreate early harps as facsimile or copy after well chosen originals. Extended researches are followed by careful handcrafts. More than 30 years of experience in musical instrument making guarantee each harp as a masterpiece. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 570

Maker of bows for all string instruments, based o­n historical examples from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Bows for Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Violone, Viola D'amore, Viols (bass, tenor and treble).

Added on: Jul 13, 2005 | Hits: 559

"It is by making classical guitars and flamencas that he began to work out stringed instruments. Student of Luc Breton, he was quickly interested in old instruments that ensure quite easily the application of traditional stringed intruments manufacture.

After having built oriental lutes, he devoted several years to baroque instruments, by manufacturing viola da gamba, tenors, upper of viols, overcoat of viols, baroque violins, baroque cellos and piccolo cellos.

He also practises restoration of old intruments. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 13, 2008 | Hits: 559

"All the listed instruments are built upon original historical models surviving in Museums and collections. The description of the models is just informative and not a bond; the construction will follow any wish and need of the customer.

I've been making lutes since 1988, and have built instruments for players from Europe, United States and Japan. Thanks to the help and suggestions of many distinguished players, I've been able to fine tune my workmanship and to develop the sound quality and a more personal style. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 02, 2008 | Hits: 559

"Born in Genoa in 1961, after graduating High School he is admitted in 1980 to the International Violinmaking School of Cremona, where he studies under the direction of V.Bissolotti, W.Zambelli and Stefano Conia, taking the degree in 1984. In that period he attends Sesto Rocchi's laboratory; later he continues his apprenticeship in the workshop of Joe Curtin and Gregg Alf. Alberto Giordano estabilished in Genoa in 1987.

Since 1994 colaborates to the preservation of the 'Cannone', the famous violin of Guarneri del Gesù owned by Niccolò Paganini, property of the City of Genoa.

In 2004 together with Bruce Carlson and Pio Montanari, he attend the violin of Paganini's refurbishment also called the ‘Historical Recover’. The work is the result of intense researches in civic and private genoese archives and the result of the in depth analysis of the technical and organological features of the violin of Paganini.

The goal of this work was the removing of the recent interventions made on the Cannone in order to recreate the historical image of the violin as it was left by Paganini (see Strad October 2004).

A studier and researcher of the italian violinmaking, Alberto Giordano has written a number of articles, essays and books. He is contributor for ‘The Strad’ magazine. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 02, 2008 | Hits: 556

"The lute, an instrument with a long history, is the central instrument of instrument-maker Matthias Wagner. His interests lie with instruments such as guitars, mandolins, Mandolen, harps, tremor, but also all historical Zupfinstrumente as the Lutes, Theorben, Baroque guitars, Vihuelen, Cistern and the relative small mandolins, Stradivari also Mandolino. Matthias Wagner has focused on the construction and restoration of lutes, and guitars Theorben specialized. " (Google and ed. translation) Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 04, 2008 | Hits: 556

"Italian born Marco Ternovec is a historical informed maker who has specialized in rebuilding Renaissance and Baroque viola da gamba since 1983. In 1994 he moved his atelier to Belgium where he lives. Besides viols, he has extended his research on the reproduction of the lyra family of instruments (lira da braccio, da gamba and lirone) as well as Medieval vielle and Baroque cello. His instruments are based on surviving historical examples. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 04, 2008 | Hits: 554

"Welcome to vihuelademano.com - home of the fluted-back designed and made by Alexander Batov Luthier ... with the ultimate purpose of recreating of the art of making the fluted-back vihuela as is so explicitly manifested in one of the finest surviving instruments of this kind, made by the Belchior Dias, Lisbon 1581 " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 10, 2008 | Hits: 536

Helmut Gotschy, Hurdy Gurdy Maker. Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 523

"The Thurau-Harfenmanufaktur makes a range of instruments of the harp family, including reconstructions of early harps from the 11th to the 19th century and modern concert harp. We also undertake restorations on early pedal harps, for both public and private collections. This depth of knowledge and experience is naturally reflected in the range and quality of the instruments described here in. Since more than thirty years costumers of the USA, Australia, Japan, South-America, Canada, Russia, and all Europe as well as famous early harpists like Cheryl Ann Fulton, Mara Galassi, Arianna Savall, Christina Pluhar, Hannelore De Vaere, Marie Nishiyama, Ben Bagby, Bill Taylor and many others appreciate and purchase our historical harps. Many museums in England, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Germany collect early harps of our manufacture due to the authenticity and high quality of our work of art and craft. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 518

“I have been a professional lute builder for almost 30 years.

Having started to play the lute as in the early seventies I decided to become a professional instrument maker. I completed a five year apprenticeship in the Dolmetsch workshops in Haslemere, where I learnt viol making under Roger Rose. In 1979 I established my first workshop in London and specialised in lute making.Since then I have made instruments for professional and amateur musicians In Europe, North America and Japan. Until 2002 I was Senior Lecturer on the Early Strings course at former London College of Furniture.“

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Dec 27, 2009 | Hits: 512

"I have been fascinated by the shape and sound of the violin since early childhood and even during my days at Art College in England where I studied Painting, Sculpture and Textile Design, I played the violin and had a desire to make them. I have also played the saxophone and flute since that time. Much later, after retraining in Graphic Design and years in Advertising and teaching Graphic Design at Monash University in Victoria (Chisholm Campus), a spell in a popular Rock band of the day, some work in music retailing and general gigging around Melbourne playing Violin and Saxophone and Flute, I eventually started to study, repair and make violins. That was in 1975 and has continued to this day. In 1991 I came to Western Australia and concentrated more on making than repairing. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 06, 2008 | Hits: 510

"I have spent over twenty-years working with harps. I began studying harps from home on the early 1980s, later deciding to study Musical Instrument Technology at the London College of furniture. After which, I then spent nine years managing the workshops of a leading harp business. At this business I carried out numerous repairs, restorations and the production of my first replica 'Welsh Triple Harp'. Since January 1998 I have been running my own workshop in sunny Devon.

My love is for the recreation of historical harps. Keeping very much to the original design, great accuracy is spent to ensure the instruments are both pleasing to the eye and ear. When making commissioned pieces every care is taken to ensure the customers individual requirements are met. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 501

"In the last 25 years, working as maker of bowed instruments I was in the opportunity to measure a number of original 17th and 18th century instruments . Instruments from makers like Barak Norman, Edward Lewis, Cheron, Bertrand, Rombouts, Jacobs, Hellmer, Stradivari, Castagnieri, Linarol and Ciciliano.

This list of names concludes as well old cellos and basses as all members of the viol family, from treble to consort bass, and the viola d'amore. On the next pages of this website you will find pictures with a short description from several 'copys' from old models which I made in the last two decades. ... "

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 23, 2008 | Hits: 498

“Luthiers Chris Allen and Sabina Kormylo are hurdy-gurdy and lute makers producing a wide variety of stringed instruments including Hurdy-Gurdies, Lutes, Mandolins and Viols. We also undertake repair, adjustment and modification of existing instruments.

Almost all of our instruments are copied from or based upon existing historic instruments. We make close examination of historic examples and pride ourselves on the faithful reproduction of both external and internal detail and design. The design and construction of bespoke instruments is also undertaken.

We provide a friendly and personal service and are very happy to discuss and accommodate the special musical needs of our customers. ..“

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 29, 2009 | Hits: 488

"My studio is a very rare studio dedicated to the research and preservation of the inheritance of European violin-making culture between 1511 and 1789. Brief history:

• I apprenticed to the instrument maker Viktor Oiberman at the age of 11.

• My first studio was opened in St.Petersburg in 1991, shortly after my very first violin received a Diploma at the Russian National Competition of violin-makers in 1991.
• In 1994 I moved to Brussels and dedicated myself to the research into the violin history and aesthetics, including the history of violin repertoire and baroque violin playing (under Sigiswald Kuijken).
• In 2002 I opened my studio in Brussels and made instruments and baroque bows for a few soloists such as Sigiswald Kuijken, Francois Fernandez, Ryo Terakado, Luis Otavio Santos and others, for the members of ensembles such as La Petite Bande, Ricercar Consort, Bach Collegium Japan and some others.
• As whole I made 60 instruments and used to keep a waiting list for both the instruments and bows. The secret is in my appealing approach to the European violin-making in the spirit of the Baroque, and in my ability to play the instruments I make (I graduated from St.Petersburg State and Brussels Royal Conservatories).
• In 2006 I opened my studio in o­ne of the greenest areas of Tokyo, 35 minutes from the city centre."
  

Added on: Mar 23, 2008 | Hits: 485

"I began making violins in 1979 at the Violin Making School of America. After graduating from there in 1983, I moved to New York City to work with William L. Monical, where I stayed for four years. While in New York I took advantage of many opportunities to examine, both inside and out, a spectrum of very fine modern and historical instruments. Since 1987 I have lived and worked in Seattle, Washington. I continue to study instruments often and to participate in ongoing professional violin making forums. Taking opportunities to examine fine instruments continues to be invaluable toward developing insight into classical construction techniques and tonal characteristics.

I build violins, violas and cellos for musicians specializing in modern performance practices. I also build instruments in an historically informed manner for musicians specializing in period performance. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 26, 2008 | Hits: 482

Stringed music instruments. 

View website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 30, 2010 | Hits: 482

"G. Sambot (born in Paris in 1954 ) is a luthier and specialized in cello making. He was a pupil of László Lendjel and has completed a whole range of modern cellos as well as baroque ones including: 4/4, 7/8 and a 5 stringed piccolo, after Stradivarius. G. Sambot also makes baroque and romantic guitars as well as some plucked stringed instruments. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 474

"The bow I make for your instrument incorporates the finest of materials and quality workmanship. In order to insure the quality of materials, I travel to Brazil for pernambuco wood, to Spain for blackwood and Paris for mammoth ivory and abalone. Acquiring materials, learning their characteristics, interacting with musicians, and studying bows in collections and museums are all integral factors in my personalized approach to bow making.

I began developing my skills in 1981 with a two year apprenticeship in the French method in Portland, Oregon with Robert Shallock. In 1984 and '85 I attended workshops with William Salchow, Fullbright Scholar in bow making. On invitation in 1996, I attended the Oberlin Bow making Workshop, sharing in the collective knowledge of some of the best bow makers of this generation. I work in my studio in Port Townsend, Washington, using time-honed skills and giving attention to every detail needed to achieve artistry and excellence in every bow I make.

You may try my handmade bows on an approval procedure. You will know which bow is best for you and your instrument by testing them in in your specific contexts. I will be happy to provide you with a finely crafted bow that will enable you to reach your optimum potential as a musician. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 26, 2008 | Hits: 471