Historical
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GalleryNew York Philharmonic concertmaster acquires Pierre Simon bow
Frank Huang is now the owner of the beautifully decorated ‘Caraman-Chimay’ Pierre Simon bow, thanks to a recent sale by Tarisio
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: 1871 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin
An exact copy of Stradivari’s ‘Messiah’, it remained in a vault in Paris for more than 70 years
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: c.1700 ‘Bell’ Giovanni Tononi violin
With a reddish-brown varnish over a golden ground, this violin shows the influence of Nicolò Amati
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: 1715 Domenico Montagnana violin
A rare example of a violin by the noted Venetian maker of cellos, it has a two-piece back of irregular figure
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: 1700 ‘Taft’ Antonio Stradivari violin
Boasting beautiful orange–red varnish, it was formerly played by Emil Heermann, concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: 1706 ‘Brott-Turner’ David Tecchler cello
The first instrument ever added to the Musical Instrument Bank of the Canada Council for the Arts, it is a masterpiece of the Rome-based luthier’s work
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VideoVideo: 15 Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violins in less than 4 minutes
Highlights from David Garrett’s 2024 ‘Del Gesù’ Club, bringing together fine Guarneri instruments from all over the world
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Blogs‘Del Gesù’ Club brings together 17 Guarneri violins
Organised by David Garrett, the annual two-day event allows owners and players of Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violins to play and examine each other’s instruments
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Premium ❘ FeatureFrom the land of a hundred violins: Amedeo Simonazzi
The luthier Amedeo Simonazzi was born into a region with a strong native musical tradition – which is almost forgotten today. Stefano Pio reveals how his surroundings influenced his career
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NewsViolin maker Ansaldo Poggi to be celebrated in new exhibition
One of the most highly regarded Italian luthiers of the 20th century, he was an apprentice of Giuseppe Fiorini
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News‘The yellow violin’: Cremona’s Museo del Violino to display Sarasate’s 1724 Stradivari
The exhibition ‘Sarasate, il violino dei virtuosi’ will mark the instrument’s 300th anniversary
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Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: the story and influence of bow maker Joseph Arthur Vigneron
Marking the 100th anniversary of André Vigneron’s death, Hamilton Caswell considers the influence he and his father Joseph Arthur have had on the generations of bow makers that followed, particularly on bass bows
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Premium ❘ FeatureA Stradivarian bow: a jewel of four facets
Recent research on the 17th- and 18th-century bows in the collection of the Musée de la Musique in Paris led to the attribution of a bow stick to the Stradivari workshop. Marie-Ève Geeraert and Jean-Philippe Échard shed some light on their discovery of this one-of-a-kind artefact
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News‘Barjansky’ Stradivarius cello tokenised by digital asset firm
The c.1690 instrument, formerly owned and played by Julian Lloyd Webber, is one of very few Stradivari cellos in existence
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Premium ❘ FeatureA mystery unveiled: the makers of Ferrara
While scholars have scrutinised the making traditions of various Italian cities, the luthiers of Ferrara have been largely neglected – until now. Florian Leonhard presents the results of recent archival research into Alessandro Mezzadri and the Marconcini family, along with notes on their making styles
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GalleryThe bows of Richard Otto Gläsel
A selection of bows by the German-born bow maker (1885-1931), whose work exhibits the influence of Claude Thomassin and other French artisans of the era
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Premium ❘ FeatureBow maker Richard Otto Gläsel: Parisian splendour
Having perfected his skills in the French capital, German bow maker Richard Otto Gläsel was much inspired by the work of his Gallic forebears, from Voirin to Vigneron. Gennady Filimonov tells his story and examines several of his finest works
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VideoStradivarius and Beyond: The Italian Violin Maker Giovanni Grancino
Amorim Fine Violins presents the second episode in its documentary series on master luthiers
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Premium ❘ FeatureViolin maker Otto Schünemann: A Romantic visionary
Although Otto Schünemann’s violins were praised by everyone from Vuillaume to Sarasate, his name is barely recognised today. Clifford Hall tells the story of this idealistic luthier who strove to bring the glories of the Cremonese masters to 19th-century Germany
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Premium ❘ FeatureScarampella and Gadda: The art of the deal
Signed 100 years ago, an agreement between luthier Stefano Scarampella and his apprentice Gaetano Gadda has recently been discovered. Philip Kass explains how it shines a light on the business relationship between two of Mantua’s leading 20th-century makers