The primary objective is to listen to the musician’s needs and integrate them into the final instrument. My instruments are based directly on the emblematic classical models of the great masters of the golden age of violin making. I sometimes adjust these classical models to make them easier to play and to incorporate my personal aesthetic vision.
Stradivari: The Stradivari model is a true classic in violin design. Violins built on this model are well balanced and warm, with a lyrical voice. They offer a subtle palette of varied colors.
Guarneri ‘del Gesù’: The other great classic in violin design, the Guarneri model imbues the sound with a certain athletic quality that reverberates to the back of the largest concert hall.
The great viola models on offer come from the 2 great makers from Cremona: Andrea Guarneri and the Amati brothers.
Both are renowned for the excellence of their violas, which are extremely easy to play for the soloist and capable of sustaining a characteristically warm voice throughout the entire range. The violas built on these models celebrate these characteristics.
Small violas: The creation of a small viola model was in response to a request from certain musicians. Several years of research resulted in a carefully orchestrated synthesis of several different acoustic ideas borrowed from the masters of the past and integrated to create a new relationship with the instrument. By retaining a wide chest area in the centre of the viola and a slightly fuller arch, I have been able to make smaller violas that retain the viola’s characteristic voice and are extremely easy to play.
The model chosen is emblematic of the Cremonese school: it is Stradivari’s famous ‘B’ shape. It represents the tenor voice in the world of the cello. It has a powerful A string and a rich, concentrated sound that delivers every note with clarity and precision. These cellos offer a wide range of dynamics and timbres that allow the performer to realize his or her sonic ideals.
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