BVMA Makers’ Day 2025: a meeting of minds

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It was understandably and suitably quiet on Sunday morning walking into the ground floor foyer of London’s Kings Place.

However, once headed down the escalator two floors below, the clamour of makers and players attending the BVMA’s 28th Makers’ Day slowly rose from beneath. From open strings, to the first four bars of Bach’s Chaconne, to the ever ascending E minor scale in the Elgar Cello Concerto, the atrium was awash with sounds from players trying out a range of instruments and makers showing off the best of their craft.

Team Strad had a great time meeting the players and luthiers who dropped by our table, with dozens of people walking off with a free copy of our February issue and our much revered tote bags. We had plenty of people take a look at our posters on sale, as well as our popular Trade Secrets, In Focus and Great Instruments books, plus our range of subscription packages.

Makers’ Day is a great opportunity to try out instruments directly from luthiers - The Strad editorial members (and cellists) Davina and Lauren tried out a range of cellos throughout the day and spoke to luthiers about the models and inspiration behind their work.

There was also a chance to listen to many of the instruments that were on display, in a dedicated concert performed by the Kreutzer Quartet. The members, comprising violinists Peter Sheppard Skaerved and Mihailo Trandafilovski, violist James Sleigh and cellist Neil Heyde had selected several instruments and bows from various makers attending the event, and gave the audience the opportunity to hear them all in action.

The Kreutzers played a range of repertoire that showcased the versatility of the instruments and bows - works that displayed a full range of dynamics, to harmonics, pizzicato, sul ponticello, con sordino, as well as legato to martelé, and everything in between.

As well as a movement from a Mozart string quartet, we heard numerous pieces by contemporary composer Sadie Harrison - which included a sneak peek at an upcoming April premiere of a solo cello work performed by Heyde – plus several arrangements by David Matthews, which included a Scriabin prelude – first performed muted, then ‘incorrectly’ senza sordini so listeners could hear the difference in timbre between the alterations.

Trandafilovski flexed his improvisatory skills with a short musical exploration that showcased the dialogue between the musician and instrument, injected with influences from his Macedonian heritage.

Sleigh performed two pieces by Hungarian composer György Kurtág on a yet-to-be-varnished viola ‘in the white,’ which he selected to appropriately reflect the folk-like and dancing spirit of the works. One could only imagine how the viola would sound once its varnish had been applied.

The performance was followed by a Q&A session with the Kreutzer Quartet, the members of which offered their insights on approaching new instruments and bows from a player’s perspective, as well as offer feedback to some of the makers.

Topics that were touched upon included the importance of having the correct set-up to showcase the best of the instrument, as well as keeping the element of the bow the same when trying out new instruments.

The players emphasised that getting to know a new instrument is like getting to know a new friend: ’You don’t find a friend by having a preconfigured idea of what a friend looks like,’ said Heyde. ’The instrument’s character discloses itself as you change the context they’re in.’

Sheppard Skaerved commented on how instruments retain the qualities embedded into them from previous players ’There is this extraordinary crossover [from] an instrument which has been played a long time by somebody… I’ve encountered so many instances of instruments which have been owned by people in the past transferring something to me.’

Transfers of all sorts were taking place back in the atrium - that of knowledge, discovery and creativity, within the crowds of attendance that comprised players and makers, friends old and new, professionals and enthusiasts - which was definitely accelerated once the bar opened up.

We had a great time on Sunday - see you next year!