The ‘Santa Cecilia’ violin is being unveiled at the Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Musical Instruments

A new violin design emerging from the lutherie course at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome is being demonstrated for the first time next week at the 22nd  Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Musical Instruments in Lisbon.

Under the banner ‘Beyond Stradivari: The New Santa Cecilia Violin’, the presentation is lead by professors Massimo de Bonfils and Mauro Fabretti.

Bonfils has lead the research element of the project, with Fabretti leading on design and construction.

The instrument key deviations from traditional violin design are:

  • Asymmetric shape designed to allow greater facility in high positions
  • Additional harmonic holes, which the team behind the violin claims offer superior acoustic performance.
  • Additional soundpost and modified bass-bar shape
  • Increased overall dimensions of the upper and lower bouts