The Gand & Bernardel workshop brought together three top tier violin makers in one Parisian atelier: Charles Nicolas Eugène Gand, Gustave Bernardel, and Ernest Bernardel. Gand began his business partnership with the Bernardel brothers after his own brother and business partner, Charles Adolphe Gand, passed in 1866. All three luthiers were linked through their shared training. Gand apprenticed under his father, Charles François Gand, who was the student (and son-in-law) of luthier Nicolas Lupot. The Bernardel brothers studied with their father, Auguste Sébastien Philippe Bernardel, who in t ..read more

The son of famed Mirecourt archetier Charles Nicolas Bazin, Charles Louis Bazin (1881-1953) grew up steeped in the family business. Bazin trained under his father, eventually taking over the atelier in 1907 at the age of twenty-six. World War I briefly paused Bazin’s business; he was called to serve in the infantry, and the war brought significant staff changes within the workshop.  Despite this upheaval, Bazin truly developed his individual style during the post-war years. He built off his father’s model to create a more robust bow marked by round sticks, a keen attention to detail, and ..read more

Cremonese luthier Andrea Guarneri (1623-1698) holds a special place in music history as both the founder of the Guarneri lutherie dynasty and a champion of the Amati violin-making tradition. Guarneri apprenticed under Nicolò Amati in two distinct periods: 1641-1646 and 1650-1654. The two makers worked together so closely that some of their violins are indistinguishable from each other. After 1654, Guarneri opened his own workshop, eventually teaching his sons, Giuseppe ‘filius’ Andrea and Pietro of Mantua, the craft. Guarneri produced a staggering amount of instruments in his lifetime, all of ..read more

Giovanni Battista Ceruti Luthier Giovanni Battista Ceruti (1756-1817) helped ensure the survival of the Cremonese violin-making tradition. However, he came to lutherie relatively late and likely did not start violin-making until at least his mid-thirties. For this reason, not much is known of Ceruti’s apprenticeship, but he likely studied under local makers like Alessandro Maggi, Nicola Bergonzi, or Carlo Bergonzi II. Ceruti’s biggest influence came from Lorenzo Storioni. He worked closely with Storioni and Giovanni Rota to revive the Baroque lutherie tradition, with the trio finding inspirati ..read more

Lorenzo Storioni Lorenzo Storioni (1744-1816) played a pivotal role in preserving Cremona’s violin-making tradition. Born the same year as Guarneri del Gesù’s death, Storioni seems to have felt a personal connection with the master, crafting many instruments inspired by Guarneri’s models. His workshop provided a training ground for Giovanni Battista Ceruti and Giovanni Rota, who helped him revive Baroque violin-making techniques. In 1802, Storioni turned his atelier over to Ceruti and left Cremona for eight years. He seems to have continued making violins, but no instruments made after 1804 ar ..read more

Charles Jean-Baptiste Collin-Mézin père Mirecourt-born luthier Charles Jean-Baptiste Collin-Mézin père (1841-1923) apprenticed under his father, Claude-Nicole Collin. Collin-Mézin’s early career saw him leaving his hometown for other ventures, including working in Paris (1858-1861) and at his father’s former employer, Nicholas François Vuillaume’s, Brussels workshop (1862-1864); however, he maintained a connection to Mirecourt and returned periodically. Continue Reading… Collin-Mézin established a Parisian atelier on the rue du Faubourg Poissonnière in 1867. Although his business initially str ..read more

For over three decades, Isabelle Wilbaux has been making violins, violas and cellos that are renowned for their power, warmth and beauty of tone. Her instruments are currently played by some of the world’s most distinguished musicians, including the Trio Fibonacci, violinist Laura Andriani and cellist David Ellis of the Alcan Quartet. Born in Tournai, Belgium, Isabelle Wilbaux discovered the world of violin making at the early age of 13 when her grandmother gave her a magazine about Cremona violin makers. This clearly had a profound impact on her as she eventually decided to pursue this direct ..read more

Nicolas François Vuillaume The younger brother of Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, luthier Nicolas François Vuillaume (1802-1876), received his early training under his father, Claude-François Vuillaume, in the family’s Mirecourt workshop. In 1824, Vuillaume traveled to Paris to work with his brother, and four years later, he established his own atelier in Brussels. There, Vuillaume enjoyed considerable success as a maker and dealer. He eventually became the Brussels Conservatory’s official luthier in 1836 and received a knighthood. Vuillaume’s workshop impacted Belgian violin-making for years to come ..read more

Archetier Paul S.J. Goh entered the string instrument community as a performer and educator. He earned a degree in music from the Nanyang Technology University with first class honors before going on to teach music and physics at the Hwa Chong Institution. There, he conducted the string orchestra, which received a gold award from the Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging under his leadership. He also served as the principal violinist for the Singapore Philharmonic Orchestra. When Goh discovered his passion for bow-making, he completed studies at the Violin Bow Making School of America. In ..read more

William Forster III (1764-1824) was born into a London-based luthier dynasty. He apprenticed under his father, William Forster II, from a young age and completed his first violin at the age of 15. Forster later attempted to diversify the family business, including a foray into selling fresh produce, but the Forster name remains most closely associated with lutherie. Forster’s output displays excellent craftsmanship. He typically based his instruments on existing models, including Stradivari, Amati, and Stainer, and his cellos are particularly prized. The post William Forster III – Violin Maker ..read more