It's lovely to be back making a new violin after a prolonged period pursuing other violin making projects. This one is for an American player; I made them a 14 1/4 inch cornerless viola a few years ago which has worked well. So now a violin is to be added to the collection. Abi wanted a slightly undersized violin so this model fits the bill. Many of the Guarneri del Gesù violins are on the smaller side, with a shorter string length, so they work perfectly for players who like a … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2025
Working weekend for Olympias Music Foundation
In March 2025 I organised a working weekend on behalf of Olympias Music Foundation, to repair and renovate their collection of violin family instruments, which are loaned to the children who benefit from their free music lessons. Read here: Behind the Scenes at the Museum … [Read more...]
Newark School of Violin Making under threat
In the Spring of 2025, the unwelcome news broke that the courses at Newark School of Violin Making would close to new students as of September 2025. I was asked by The Strad magazine to write a piece about the school. The latest news is that as of September 2025 the current three year degree course has been replaced by unfunded one year courses. Watch this space... Read here: End of an era? Conscious that the future of the school might well be in doubt, I edited and produced a booklet … [Read more...]
