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.
Rossi graduated from the Parma school headed by Scrollevezza and has also studied with Greg Alf, Guy Rabut and Carlos Arcieri in New York before opening his own workshop. We have just received this violin and were immediately impressed with the beauty and elegance of the workmanship as well as the tone.
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.
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.
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.
Although we can't say for sure who made this fine violin, the sound is superb, suitable for a professional violinist.
After graduating from the Mittenwald violin making school, Wolfgand Schiele worked for important makers and dealers in Paris, New York and for Peter Biddulph in London. He opened his own workshop in Munich in 1990 and has since become one of the most important makers in Germany.
Born in Livorno in 1964, Pietrantonio worked with several important makers who trained him in the traditions of the Bisiach family and especially Igino Sderci. This violin is a reproduction of the model of J.B.Guadagnini and has as wonderful rich tone of great character.
Born in 1905, Merighi was a self taught maker, constructing violins based on the models of the Cremonese school. This violin was made when he was nearly 70 years old, and is characteristic of his rustic charm.
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.
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.
Master violin maker Tschu Ho Lee has been the director of the Chicago School of Violin Making since 1980 and has taught a generation of violin makers, many of whom have become famous in their own right. Originally from Korea, Mr. Lee graduated from the Mittenwald violin making school and got his master’s certificate before coming to Chicago
Mozzani was a guitar prodigy as a youth who began constructing plucked instruments. He opened up a successful workshop making plucked and bowed stringed instruments. The workshop employed several talented luthiers, and received instruction on violin making from the renowned Carletti family. This violin was made after moving to Bologna, where the business thrived. It has a strong, sweet tone.
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.
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 G.A.Pfretzschner workshop in Markneukirchen is best known for their fine bows, but also produced exceptional string instruments as well. This beautiful violin has a truly fine tone.
The Collin-Mezin workshop made fine violins from the end of the 19th century until the 1950s. The "Le Victorieux" were Charles II own model.
Although he wasn’t a prolific maker it is clear from this violin that Georges Cherpital was a highly skilled maker. He worked with his father Nicolas Émile and then worked with Cuesnon.
Mantua, 1998.
The Barbieri family includes eight violin makers. Born in 1947, Silvio Barbieri studied violin making with his father Bruno. His instruments are beautifully crafted using the finest materials.