Lorenzo Rossi

Luthier

©Fondazione Cologni

©Lorenzo Rossi

©Susanna Pozzoli

From punk guitarist to violin master

It takes Lorenzo 300 hours to make a violin or a viola, 600 for a cello
His instruments are used by several musicians in the orchestra of La Scala
As a student he used to play bass guitar in a punk band

Lorenzo Rossi’s story began with sudden inspiration. At the time he was studying materials science at university and in his free time playing bass guitar in a punk band. It never crossed his mind to become a violin maker, but accompanying a friend to mend his guitar changed his life forever. “The following day I left university and enrolled in the Scuola Civica di Liuteria di Milano, the municipal violin making school. The smell of wood and the noises I heard in that workshop completely stunned me. As a teenager I had built the bass guitar I was playing on, but I never thought of becoming a luthier. At the beginning, my parents didn’t take it well, but I gave them the first violin I made, which they still guard as their most precious treasure.”

Interview

©Lorenzo Rossi

©Susanna Pozzoli

How can a former punk musician contribute to the world of violins?: I believe it’s with passion, because perfection was already achieved 300 years ago by Antonio Stradivari. This is the only frustrating aspect of this craft: knowing that the best has already been done and that perfection will always remain a mystery beyond our reach.
What aspect of your work do you love the most?: The part I enjoy most is when I work together with the musician who has ordered the instrument. Their satisfaction, after they try the instrument for the first time, is the reward for many hours of hard work.
What's been the most exciting moment of your career?: When I first heard one of my cellos being played at La Scala theatre in Milan: to enter the temple of excellence of classical music is a goal that I never dreamed of achieving. All my instruments are made in close collaboration with the musicians, so when they play them it’s thrilling.
What aspect of your work is little-known?: The calluses that grow on your hands! Unfortunately, even the musical world forgets the unique added value of an instrument that is entirely handmade through endless hours of work: approximately 600 hours are necessary to make a cello, only 300 for a violin.

Lorenzo Rossi is a master artisan: he began his career in 2004 and he started teaching in 2006