| Workshop A new violin has to be good straight away, work on all strings and be perfectly balanced to the top of the fingerboard. It has to be open and warm and project well in a Concert hall, but it will get so much more along the way, the " loose" feeling in the sound only come within a year or more. It is obviously so important to understand the musician, and at the same time, be able to listen and guide him in the right direction.  I
strongly believe that every single detail is fundamental to the resulting
sound, but the quality of the wood comes first to obtain the quality
sound that one thrives for. I travel a lot looking for the best ,
well seasoned wood, as far as Italy, Tyrol or Bosnia. I work using traditional methods and hand-tools, very similar to the one used by the old classical makers in the 16th Century. Every step is about a proper gesture, a clear concept and a razor sharp blade. All the stages in the process of making an instrument, from choosing the wood to the final set-up are done by myself, in search of perfection. I work and confront my results systematically to a lot of informations accumulated on Guarneri Del Gesu violins and old Italian instruments, some that I had the privilege to see or restore. |
Nevertheless,
one has to understand the culture of violin-making before creating again,
as modernity lies within the tradition. What I mean to say is that I
do not believe in strictly copying an old classical instrument, but
more in trying to get as close as possible to the master piece, by understanding
how it was made. I want to clearly know the type of sound I really want
before making the instrument. My experience is that I always get some
of what I'm looking for. I listen to Arthur Grumiaux, David Oistrakh,
Rostropovich or Itzhac Perlman and the old players, I love the "raw",
expressive sound of the old masters.
The journey of violin making is amazing, and every day I feel very privileged
to sit down and leave patience and time shape my instruments.
