Analysis: Proactive solutions

Support is growing for the efforts of a fledgling organisation seeking to protect the natural resources that violin and bow makers – and string players – rely on. The International Alliance of Violin and Bow Makers for Endangered Species was formed in 2018 by the Entente Internationale des Luthiers et Archetiers (EILA) to represent the concerns of national makers’ groups and associations from around the world. ‘The idea of the Alliance is to bring people together so they can speak with one voice,’ says EILA president and Berlin-based restorer Daniel Kogge. ‘It’s important that we have an international voice that can be represented at CITES [the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species], and with which we can communicate our concerns to musicians, orchestras, collectors, auctioneers and everyone who benefits from our craft.’..