The Bernardel family is one of the most important and distinguished in the history of Parisian violin making. Auguste Sebastian Philippe Bernardel who was the founder of the dynasty, started with Lupot in 1815 and set up his own firm in 1826. His son Eugene Auguste joined his father and established the firm Gand & Bernardel Frères with Eugène Gand. In 1866. Leon Bernardel joined the family firm before setting up his own shop in 1899. He died in 1931. This violin was completed by his son Leon II who continued the family firm. This beautiful violin has an excellent rich and colorful tone.
Ada Quaranta’s instrument are in great demand because of their great quality. She studied at the Cremona school beginning in 1990 after receiving her diploma in violin performance. After graduation, she worked in some of the most important shops in Germany and France. She has won numerous awards for her work. We are pleased to be able to offer this fine example of her work.
Cavalazzi was a student of Domenico Veggi and established his workshop in the late 1920’s. A highly respected maker, he also did extensive research in varnish chemistry. This violin has a full, warm tone of great quality.
Ray Melanson has become one of the best known and important violin makers in this country. Having studied art and violin performance, he began his career in the 1970's working with Hans Nebel and Arnold Bone doing repairs and restorations of fine instruments and bows. He then went to the Salt Lake violin making school. Starting in 1983, he spent four years teaching at the North Bennett St violin making school. Since then he has won 14 medals at Violin Society of America competitions. His instruments are owned by a number of famous soloists and members of major symphony orchestras.
Possibly by George Gemunder
After graduating from the Mittenwald violin making school, Kapfhammer came to the U.S., teaching at the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City. There he trained some of the most important contemporary makers. The tone of this violin is brilliant, responsive with easy playability
The Bernardel family was one of the most important dynasties in Parisian violin making for well over a century, not just as makers but as some of the most important dealers in Paris. Léon Bernardel worked at first with Derazey before joining the family firm Gand et Bernardel Frères. He opened his own shop in 1899 and was very successful and respected following the style of Lupot. This violin is an especially fine example of his work.
This violin has a brilliant, responsive tone. The maker emigrated to Argentina from Italy, and may have studied with Joseph and/or Enrico Rocca.
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.
Carlos was born In Honduras and moved as a child to Albany California in 1976. He studied at the violin making school in Cremona graduating in 1983 and stayed on for another three years working with some of the best Cremonese masters. He returned to the Bay Area and began working with Rolland Feller in San Francisco. He has continued making fine instruments in his own workshop and has gained the respect of Bay Area musicians.
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.
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.
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.