"I am the only luthier in Valtellina, therefore I am the best one,” says Martino Quintavalla, commenting on his choice to open a luthier workshop in his native region among the mountains, where there is no such tradition at all. Ironic, smart and humble, Martino is a materials engineer with a PhD and experience working for the largest public research institution in Italy. He inherited his passion for crafts and music from his father, a mechanic. He repaired his first mandolin as an autodidact during his university years in Milan and discovered that he could do that quite easily. So, he focused all his efforts into establishing his own luthier workshop, where he puts his knowledge into practice, experimenting with new designs and materials, in order to push the boundaries of performance without compromising the quality of sound.
Martino Quintavalla
