MY SPACE

A peek into lutherie workshops around the world

ALL PHOTOS TUOMO MANNINEN

This mould is made on a Stradivari model, although it’s not one I regularly use. My normal moulds have larger holes, to make it easier for me to remove the rib garland once it’s finished.

LOCATION Helsinki, Finland

I’ve been at this workshop in Töölö, near the centre of Helsinki, for almost eight years. Before that, for more than a decade I was around three miles away from the centre, where the workshop took up the ground floor of my house. The area was nice, but when the bad weather came in the winter, the snowploughs never made it to my street – which wasn’t very good for my customers, who sometimes had to battle through two feet of snow to reach me! Being central is much better for me now, as I’m very close to the Sibelius Academy and the home venues of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. The railway station is also nearby, which is convenient for my customers who come from around Finland and abroad.

I try to manage my time so that half of it is spent on repair work, maintenance, set-up, sound adjustment and bow rehairing, while the other half is for making new instruments. Most of the instruments hanging up are made by me, some of them dating from my time at the Cremona School. I’ve played the violin since I was five, and while in Cremona I spent two years learning the viola and another two studying the cello. So I can try out all the instruments I make, and I’ve played in string quartets ever since I was a student. Helsinki is a very musical city and I’m delighted to be able to work with so many fellow string players in the vicinity.

The workshop is around 30 sq m and I do almost everything in this one room. The only exception is the bathroom where, since it attracts the least amount of dust, I have my UV cabinet for drying varnish. The centrepiece is the large window, which is essential for bringing natural light into the workshop. Sometimes in the winter, the light in Helsinki is so poor that I’ll hold over some tasks such as varnish retouching until I have better weather.

INTERVIEW BY CHRISTIAN LLOYD

I’m currently working on a violin by Gioffredo Cappa owned by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, which requires new tuning pegs. There’s also a Baroque violin, probably German-made, which needs polishing, sound adjustment and a new soundpost.

I have my main workbench in front of the large window, as it lets in lots of natural light. I have all my bridges hanging up in the window for seasoning; I think it’s nice for them to get some colour in them.

This is another section of the same room, where I keep some of my wood and work on new instruments. At present I’m carving the top and back plates for a fivestring violin, which I’m making for a contemporary music specialist.

I take inspiration from all the photos of fine instruments that I have around the workshop. The one on the window is a 1713 Girolamo Amati II violin in the collection of the Royal Academy of Music, which I’ve copied several times.

I’m a member of the Guild of Finnish Luthiers, which put together an exhibition in 2022 to coincide with the Sibelius International Violin Competition. We currently have twelve members and meet regularly to discuss the facets of our trade.