I trained at the Welsh School of Violin Making and Repair, and then with Bein & Fushi in Chicago. In 1996  I opened my own workshop in Santa Rosa, California, making new instruments and providing restoration services to the violin trade.   Since 2015 all of my work  has been devoted to building new instruments. 

Over the years I’ve received awards for violinmaking , including two silver medals for cello tone.  I’ve published  in trade journals on topics from violin building  and restoration techniques to accounts of experimental violins.

Entering the “mature” stage of my career, my wish is to experience the world more broadly through the art and craft of violinmaking. I’ve been pursuing more community and collaborative projects such as  “The Redwood Violin” (2020),  a community built instrument, made entirely from locally sourced, raw materials. 

In an ongoing series of experimental or  “Off-Beat Violins” I use the medium of violinmaking to explore both the natural world and questions about violin acoustics and aesthetics. 

All of these side projects deepen my understanding and enjoyment of traditional violinmaking.

 

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