1 mins
MY SPACE
A peek into lutherie workshops around the world
LUTHIER GIANCARLO ARCIERI
ALL PHOTOS GIANCARLO ARCIERI
LOCATION Miami, FL, US
Until three years ago, I’d been based in New York City my whole life. I felt like the walls were closing in on me, almost literally; three new skyscrapers had been built right next to my Manhattan workshop and we suddenly had no light or view. For a while I worked in New Jersey, but eventually I decided to move to Florida with my wife and children. Since then, I’ve barely had any time for new making, as there’s been so much work for me. Miami has an excellent music scene, with students from the university and New World Symphony, and musicians from the Palm Beach Opera and Symphony of the Americas all needing repair work. There’ve been a lot of outdoor events this summer, where the hot weather has played havoc with people’s instruments and I need to get them back to normal working order.
There’s a difference in that working in New York meant there’d be more Stradivaris and Guarneris crossing my workbench, but for me the priority has always been the musician rather than the instrument. Of course I adore the old Italians, but I’m more interested in making a player’s instrument the best it can be. Also, down here in Florida I feel a bit detached from the world, which is refreshing after years of being at the centre of it all. Some younger luthiers have approached me asking if I need an apprentice, but I’ve always turned them down so far –I don’t have time.
My main workshop in about 35 sq m and filled with items I’ve brought down from New York or made since I’ve been here. I don’t have many instruments around the shop, as I like to work efficiently – just take the instrument, do the work and hand it back. The two pictures on the wall were made by my son when he was two and a half. My father was a painter before he turned to violin making, and he declared himself astonished at how good they were!
INTERVIEW BY CHRISTIAN LLOYD