This fine violin is of the highest quality form the Laberte-Humbert Frerés firm in Mirecourt made when the workshop was at its peak. Marc Laberte was trained by his father and became a highly skilled and decorated maker.
The Meinel family of violin makers was one of the largest in Germany with over 30 master luthiers. Like all of his family, he trained in Markneukirchen but spent most of his career in Basel, Switzerland. He worked with N.E. Simoutre taking over the business in 1889 when he was only 24 years old.
Didier Niolas known as D. Nicolas l'aine was the most respected and certainly the most successful of the Nicolas family of violins makers. He establisehd a workshop which at one point had over 500 employees.
This beautiful violin represents the highest quality workmansip from that famous shop.
Kurt Arno Gutter studied with O.B.Heinel in Markneukirchen, then worked in Berlin with Glaesel and back in Markneukirchen with H.T.Heberlein before opening his own workshop a
Violins labeled “Paolo Fiorini” were of high quality generally from the 1920’s, made in Markneukirchen. These “Art Violins” were among the best being made in Germany at that time. In fact, ads from the U.S. distributers sometimes claimed them to have been made in Italy.
The Hjorth family of violin makers established the firm in 1789 and became one of the most important shops in Northern Europe under Emil’s direction. It continued until 2016. Emil Hjorth worked in Vienna, Paris with Bernardel and in London before returning to Copenhagen where he built the Hjorth firm into one of the most important in Europe. It was continued on by his sonsOthon & Knud.
Johann Glass studied violin making with his father Franz Johann and took over his very successful firm. The Glass family of makers (20 in all) dated from the late 1700’s to th mid 20th century. Johann was also the maker and restorer to the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester for much of his career.
For more than 150 years, the 28 violin makers of the Paulus family made fine instruments, primarily in Markneukirchen. Albin worked with Dölling before setting up his own workshop in 1890. His workshop became very successful and his instruments were in great demand.
Over the years, we have offered a number of fine violins from the Ernst Heinrich Roth workshop made in the 1920’s. This violin dating from 1928 is an unusually fine example. Modeled after a Stradivarius of 1718.
Like so many French makers, Delivet apprenticed in Mirecourt. After working there with Victor Rambaux, he moved to Paris working with H.C.Silvestre. He opened his own shop in Paris in 1892. His work was highly regarded and he won numerous gold medals in major exhibitions. In 1918 he emigrated to Canada working in Toronto and Montreal. This violin has a nice brilliant and responsive tone.
After training in Mirecourt, Hidalgo Moya established his workshop in Aylestone, England in 1890. His work has always been highly regarded for his fine craftsmanship and tone qualities.
Born in 1967, Maurizio worked with his grandfather Carlo Pizzamaglio then graduated from The Cremona School of Violin Making in 1985. He has gone on to win many awards and medals at international competitions. This is an interesting example of his early work and has a certificate from Chris Reuning.
Trained originally as a violinist, Frosali established as a violinmaker in Florence in 1932 having studied with Giuseppe Scarampella. Emigrating to America, he worked first in New York where he worked for Emil Herrmann. While there he worked alongside Simone Sacconi. He moved to Los Angeles in 1939 working at Wurlitzer in their violin department, establishing his own shop in 1954. In 1949 he was the only American maker to win an award at a major competition in the Hague. He was enormously successful and his instruments were (and still are) in great demand both in the Los Angeles area as well as here in the Bay Area.
Carlos was born in Honduras and came to the U.S. as a child. He made his first stringed instruments in high school on his own. Excited by his early success he went to Cremona, Italy to study violin making at the renowned International violin making school, graduating in 1983. He stayed in Italy as a violin maker before returning to this country over thirty years ago. Even after all these years, his instruments show the finest qualities of the Italian violin makers who influenced him.
Over the years we have been proud to have sold a number of violins and cellos by the gifted young maker Marcello Bellei. Born in 1976, he was trained by maker by Renato Scrollavezza at the violin making school in Parma where a number to today's best makers are trained. Since then he has won a number of awards for his fine instruments.
Although we can't say for sure who made this fine violin, the sound is superb, suitable for a professional violinist.
This exceptional maker worked for a number of important makers including A.Wunderlich, E.Reinhold Schmidt and H.Glass before setting up in his own shop in 1904. This fine violin is illustrated in the important book on Vogtland violin makers by Zoebisch (pp.194-195). It is in superb condition and has a fine tone.
Some of the finest violins made in Germany after the first World War were from the Markneukirchen workshops of Ernst Heinrich Roth. This excellent violin is a reproduction of a violin from 1734 by Guarneri.
A graduate of the Cremona International school of Violin Making (1988) Stefan Trabucchi studied with Massimo Negroni and Claudio Amighetti. Trabucchi then worked with Marco Nolli. Over the years he has won a number of awards and medals at competitions both in Italy and internationally. Over the last several years we have been able to offer sever fine violins and cellos by Stefano and are very enthusiastic about his work.