This instrument is part of our 7th annual Contemporary American Makers Exhibition, 2024

Hi my name is David Morse aka Davide di Soqueli

My music and carving career started at 6 years old, when my professional engineer father and my mother, a brilliant soprano vocalist, started my instructions.

Courses in mechanical engineering and critical path analysis in military intelligence during my brief Army career helped tremendously. Later a university degree in sculpture and painting paralleled a career in making violins. There have been very fine world class musicians who have supported my career. My first professional violin was named Magister, and found its way into the San Francisco Symphony. Many more violins have found homes in that and other bay area Symphonies over the years. My style of making uses autodidactic techniques of adjustments to serve the orchestral and soloistic requirements of professional violinists.

This violin, presented to this exhibition, was loaned to the award-winning prodigy Xander Lee at the beginning of his ninth year of high school. He played Oracle for his entire high school education, later choosing another David Morse violin for his university career. Constructed of Serbian Acer Pseudo Patinas back and sides, I cut and split this Italian Red Spruce top from a log in the Val di Fiemme Italian forests twenty-five years ago. I have used Vision Titanium Orchestra strings; the medium tension Orchestra sets that showcase the best in Oracle without crushing the dynamic articulation.

A Victor Romasevitch performance on David Morse violin “Fiemme” below:

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