Casa Stradivari draws inspiration from the life of Antonio Stradivari and the Cremonese violin-making workshop, understood as a living space of relationship between those who build the instrument and those who play it. In this context, the dialogue between luthiers and musicians returns to being an integral part of the creative process, as a natural element of tradition.
This vision is the foundation of the Violin Making Master Program, conceived as an advanced educational path dedicated to the construction of the string instruments of the classical quartet according to the historical Cremonese 'internal mold' method. The course integrates practical workshop activities, specialized in-depth study sessions, and a constant comparison with the interpretative dimension through direct interaction between luthiers and musicians.
The course lasts 18 months, during which the luthiers each craft a string quartet, exploring in detail the technical aspects of the Cremonese construction method alongside three internationally renowned master luthiers: two violins with Master Davide Sora, a viola with Master Marcello Ive, and a cello with Master Primo Pistoni.
Further enriching the young luthiers' knowledge are the studies of Stradivarian historical relics and instruments from the Violin Museum Collection with its Curator Riccardo Angeloni; in-depth sessions on chemistry and varnishing with Curzio Merlo and Pierre Flavetta, held at the CrForma Diagnostic Laboratory; and sessions on setup and fine-tuning with Robert Brewer Young (luthier, philosopher, and Head of Scientific Research and Conservation at J&A Beare, London).
Master Luthiers
Musicians
The artistic project of Casa Stradivari ensures that the string instruments crafted during the Violin Making Master Program are played by internationally renowned musicians, fostering a direct dialogue between the art of lutherie and musical interpretation.
The Artistic Residencies are an essential complement to the Violin Making Program: the guest artists are welcomed primarily to place their experience at the service of the luthiers-in-training, offering a direct and highly qualified connection with the world of international musical performance.
Alongside the daily presence of Maestro Fabrizio von Arx - who closely follows the luthiers' work, offering precious technical and musical suggestions throughout the various stages of construction - Casa Stradivari regularly hosts Artists-in-Residence.
These residencies represent a pivotal moment of the project: they allow the luthiers to hear their instruments in the hands of top-level professionals, receive precise feedback on sound response, tonal balance, projection, and playing comfort, and adjust accordingly to refine their work.
During the first edition of the course, the instruments created by the participants were tested by world-famous artists such as Maxim Vengerov, Kirill Troussov, Ning Feng, Jean-Guihen Queyras, and Ilya Gringolts.
In this way, Casa Stradivari promotes a unique educational model based on a living exchange between those who build and those who play: a concrete and highly qualifying experience that allows young luthiers to grow through dialogue with world-class performers and to fully understand the artistic and technical needs of the contemporary musician.
