9 mins
HONORATA STALMIERSKA
Lutherie
A peek into lutherie workshops around the world
LUTHIER
LOCATION
Pozna?, Poland
My workshop is situated in a very peaceful and beautiful location right next to a forest. When my husband and I decided to buy a new house 20 years ago, one of the main requirements was a spacious area suitable for a workshop. At that time my children were young and having the workshop in the house was a comfortable solution.
This way I was able to work and take care of my children simultaneously.
The workshop is on the ground floor. To begin with, it was only 50 sq m, but after a few years I made some changes so it now comes to 70 sq m. Ive set up seven places for working; my own spot is in front of the window. As a professor of violin making at the Academy of Music in Poznan I teach a lot of students. Although my pupils have their own workshop at the Academy,
1 believe it is much more effective for them to have constant supervision over their work, and so I keep other working areas prepared for my students.
My garage now contains all the equipment necessary for cutting and preparing the wood. Adjacent to the main workshop there is also a little room that has a big cabinet with a glass door. In this cabinet I keep all instruments for sale, both new and old. This room is perfect for trying out instruments. It has a small table, a chair and a music stand, but most importantly, the acoustics here are well suited for instrument testing.
My chisels and other tools are up on the walls so theyre always easily accessible and dont take up extra space. I keep different types of varnish, dyes, resin, solvents and other accessories in the cupboards, which are also useful for storing moulds, patterns and instruments.
As a violin maker I build new instruments and make repairs and corrections. Recently Ive been fascinated by the violin models of Carlo Bergonzi and Guadagnini, which I use for my own new instruments
INTERVIEW BY CHRISTIAN LLOYD
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