Carlo Chiesa

Luthier

The next Stradivari

Carlo takes up to two months to make a violin
He draws inspiration from the past great masters
He works in close contact with violinists around the world

He’s one of the most known and globally celebrated violin makers, the best of his generation. But he’s also a great researcher and expert on the history of string instruments. He has written several studies, articles and essays about the greatest master luthiers such as Antonio Stradivari, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù. He also holds lectures around the world and for many years he was a taught History of the Violin at the International School of Violin Making in Cremona, Italy. Since 2003, he is the curator of the string instruments collection of Conservatory Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, where he is based and where he graduated at the prestigious Civica Scuola di Liuteria. In his workshop, he restores precious and historical instruments and makes violins, cellos and violas.

Interview

How did this passion start?: As a boy, I had organ lessons for a while and was attracted to ancient music. After high school, I attended university, but I wanted to do a manual job, which would allow me to build something beautiful and useful. Becoming a luthier made it possible and kept me in touch with the music world.
Are old violins still considered the finest?: Yes, and nobody knows why. Today we can copy them with great precision, but the originals are still a little superior, they have something that I can’t explain, that no luthier is yet able to reproduce.
What do you need to build your instruments?: Everything is handmade with the same few tools used by the Renaissance’s masters. To get the best possible results I consult with experts in physics and chemistry, I make the coating myself, I personally choose the fir trees in the woods and let them acclimatize in my workshop for at least ten years before using them.
How do you pass your precious knowledge on?: In my workshop, I regularly host young graduates from Italian and foreign luthier schools. Young people from Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and Italy have worked with me. All of them, later on, opened ateliers. The last winner of the Cremona Triennial Competition was my student.

Carlo Chiesa is a master artisan: he began his career in 1987 and he started teaching in 2000