Our workshop has been busy during the Covid-19 period. I've completed violins for waiting musicians and my assistant has been working hard restoring violins. In between my commissioned work, I just finished updating a violin I made in 2009. I fitted a new bridge and...
Workshop open
Our workshop is open again! Please note the Covid-19 shop visit protocols:, as of July 7th, 2020: Visits to the shop are by appointment only - only two customers are allowed per visit It is mandatory for you to wear a mask covering your mouth at all times If you are...
Reduced workshop service
For my customers regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19): Out of concern for our clients, my family and employee, we are suspending all repairs, bow rehairs, and sales of strings and accessories until further notice. Hopefully this precaution will only be required...
Strad magazine Jan. 2020
In the Strad Magazine January 2020 edition, my colleague Hugh Withycombe and I published an article on madder lake pigments. These types of colour pigments were used by the great violin makers of the past to add additional colour to their instruments. They continue to...
Artsfile
In December arts journalist Peter Robb visited my workshop and we gave him a workshop tour. We talked about what goes into making a good string instrument and about being a violin maker in Ottawa. The article just came out online. ARTSFILE article is here - click. ...
VSA awards!
In November I took part in the 23rd Violin Society of America Violin Making Competition. I'm pleased to say I won two awards. An award for workmanship for my latest violin and an award for workmanship for my cello. There were 224 violins and 66 cellos entered in this...
Exhibition in New York
In New York at the Lincoln Centre in the Bruno Walter Auditorium there will be an exhibition of contemporary violins, violas, cellos and bows. Sunday, March 18th, from 1pm to 5:30pm. I look forward to show a violin copy of the 'Dushkin' Guarneri Del Gesu.
Cello Endpins
Over the past 25 years I have tried a number of different endpin and endpin spikes while making cellos. Mostly carbon fibre and steel spikes. We also see clients using a range of different endpins on their cellos. Most of these are made in Germany, Japan and the US....
Toronto Symphony Orchestra and cello soloist
This Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure to listen to Dale Yoonho Jeong perform as soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Roy Thompson Hall. He was the 2017 winner of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition. He performed a selection from...
Making violins in Maine and Tool Makers, Lee Nielsen
In the fall I was kindly invited to Maine, in the US, to work with 7 other violin makers at a beautiful seaside cottage for a week. We each worked on our own violins and violas and of course shared ideas on our current work. With such a small group it allowed people...