Take a peek into the couple’s Lübeck workshop
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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.
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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