‘A constant exchange of knowledge’ - My Space: Julia Jostes & Simon Eberl

13 April 2023

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Take a peek into the couple’s Lübeck workshop

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Middle left: We have two preferred models of viola: Simon likes this Gasparo da Salò, with wonky f-holes and unusual arching, while Julia prefers a Giacomo Gennaro model, which is very adaptable to different sizes.
Middle: Our workshop is also our showroom, and musicians can test their instruments in the back part. The cello is a Gofriller model, in that it’s based on several different Gofrillers that we liked – each one is so different, it was impossible to choose just one.
Bottom right: This cello mould is currently in a vice so that Simon can fit the blocks for the C-bouts. The normal process is to join the plates, then prepare the ribs, then fit the blocks, then glue in the C-bouts, then the upper and lower bouts, and finally glue on the plates.

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We moved to Lübeck in Germany’s far north in 2016. Before that we both lived in Berlin, and as we’d moved around a lot when we were younger, we had no ties to any particular town. We chose Lübeck because it has a beautiful old town, it’s by the sea, there are good connections to Denmark and Scandinavia, and we can easily travel to Hamburg. It’s also a very musical town with a good concert hall and a lively tradition of chamber music. It’s common to have concerts in people’s houses, and we hosted one ourselves in 2019, as part of a chamber music festival in the town. We haven’t done that since the pandemic, but maybe it’s time we did! Importantly, there’s also a conservatoire and the students often come in for bow rehairs. We’ve sold the occasional instrument to students as well.

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We have a small room at the back for our wood store and larger equipment. We also use it for rough work like sawing and drilling, and for anything that produces lots of dust.

We were lucky to find this shop in the centre of the old town. It’s around 40 sq m and before we arrived, it had been used since the 1960s by a maker of brass instruments; he even gave us his drill press when we moved in. We spent around three months renovating the premises, including a completely new floor and ceiling. We found some beautiful brickwork under the plaster on the walls and turned it into a feature of the workshop. All the beams at the back of the shop are there to cover up some pipes.

We’re usually both working together in the mornings, and in the afternoon one of us stays while the other goes home to take care of the children. Working side by side is always stimulating as there’s a constant exchange of views and knowledge; when one of us is working on an instrument arching, for example, it’s normal to pass it over and ask if it looks right. We normally work on violins and violas separately, but always collaborate on the cellos.

INTERVIEW BY CHRISTIAN LLOYD

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