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Ifshin Rare & Fine Instruments

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David Rubio
22574

Born in London, David started his studies in medical school and intended to become a surgeon but discovered that being color blind, surgery would be impossible. Instead, he went in an entirely different direction, becoming a flamenco guitarist with a gypsy group in Spain. He then started making guitars, then harpsichords and baroque violins. He moved to Cambridge in 1979 and concentrated on violin making, developing an excellent reputation for his instruments. David died in 2000 at the age of 65.

Raymond Melanson *SOLD*
22575

Ray Melanson has become one of the best known and important violin makers in this country. Having studied art and violin performance, he began his career in the 1970's working with Hans Nebel and Arnold Bone doing repairs and restorations of fine instruments and bows. He then went to the Salt Lake violin making school. Starting in 1983, he spent four years teaching at the North Bennett St violin making school. Since then he has won 14 medals at Violin Society of America competitions. His instruments are owned by a number of famous soloists and members of major symphony orchestras.

Sam Billings *SOLD*
22577

After graduating from the Chicago School of Violin Making, Sam Billings worked in the Chicago area and was represented by major Chicago violin shops including Kenneth Warren and Sons and Bein & Fushi. His violins have been acquired by a number of important musicians for example, the first violinist of the Takács Quartet.

William Moennig & Sons
22492

For over one hundred years (1909-2010) the firm of William Moennig & Sons was one of the most important violin dealers in this country. Over the years they employed some of the best makers in this country. They also had close relationships with some the finest violin makers in Markneukirchen (due in part to the fact that William Jr. studied violin making there before the second world war) and they were able to get many of the finest violins from those makers after the second world war. This is an especially fine violin and is in almost perfect condition.

Andrea Caccia
22510

Andrea Caccia began his career spending time in the workshop of his uncle Mario Gadda who determined that Andrea had a gift for violin making. After ten years in Mario's workshop, Andrea opened his own shop in 2004 and has since become very successful. His work is very personal but follows the Mantua tradition through Gaetano and Mario Gadda back to Gaetano's teacher the great Stefano Scarampella.

Thomas Hoyer
22521

The Hoyer family of violin makers goes all the way back to the 1750's. After the second world war, the family moved from Schoenbach in Bohemia to Bubenreuth. Thomas studied with his father Georg Hoyer and received his Master's Certificate from the Mittenwald violin making school in 1998. The back and ribs of this cello are crafted from pearwood.

Heberlein workshop
22351

Heberlein workshop, labeled Friedrich August Heberlein, Markneukirchen

Giovanni Pallaver 16 ½"
18695

Giovanni Pallaver studied with Andrea Bisiach and R.Capsoni in Milan before moving to Verona. He was respected for his excellent work on the classical models.

John Juzek 16 ⅜"
20736

The John Juzek violins, violas and cellos have been made since 1900 and have always been highly respected for their high quality. They have been widely known in this country since 1920 when Metropolitan Music was formed in New York by the Juzek family.

Robert Halliday 16 ¼"
20588

Halliday worked originally in Ohio from the early 1900's, later moving to Chicago, where some of America's finest makers worked.

Ernst Heinrich Roth 16"
18910

Since the early 1920's the firm of Ernst Heinrich Roth has been one of the most important makers of fine stringed instruments in the world. We are always pleased to offer their fine violins, violas, and cellos.

Sam Billings
22578

After graduating from the Chicago School of Violin Making, Sam Billings worked in the Chicago area and was represented by major Chicago violin shops including Kenneth Warren and Sons and Bein & Fushi. His violins have been acquired by a number of important musicians for example, the first violinist of the Takács Quartet.

Michael Darnton
22579

As a child, Michael started playing the cello but found that he was more interested in the instruments themselves than learning to play them. As a young man he was a professional photographer but soon started working at major violin shops in Chicago doing repairs and restorations, starting his career as a maker. He also worked with Tetsuo Matsuda and William Whedbee, perfecting his lutherie skills. In 2005, he joined forces with Stefan Hersh, forming Darnton & Hersh in downtown Chicago.

Michael Darnton
22580

As a child, Michael started playing the cello but found that he was more interested in the instruments themselves than learning to play them. As a young man he was a professional photographer but soon started working at major violin shops in Chicago doing repairs and restorations, starting his career as a maker. He also worked with Tetsuo Matsuda and William Whedbee, perfecting his lutherie skills. In 2005, he joined forces with Stefan Hersh, forming Darnton & Hersh in downtown Chicago.

Albert Knüpfer *SOLD*
18838

Knüpfer worked first with A.Wunderlich in Markneukirchen, later with E. Reinhold Schmidt and H.Glass. He established his own workshop in nearby Wernitzgrün in 1904 and continued until after 1950.  He is recognized for his fine work after the classical Italian models.

Charles Voiry
11272

Charles Voiry trained in Mirecourt as did most of the best French violin makers. He then moved to the beautiful and historic city of Toulouse and soon became very successful. His shop was frequented by some of the finest musicians of the time including Zino Francescatti, Jacques Thibaud, Ginette Neveau and cellist Andre Nevarra.

Heinrich Gill *SOLD*
13004

Dating back to 1952, the firm of Heinrich Gill was acquired by violin maker Bernd Dimbath in 1990. Bernd studied with makers in Berlin as well as the violin making school in Mittenwald. Over the last 32 years the Gill violins, violas and cellos have become some of the finest string instruments made in Germany. The model 394 is one of their finest quality cellos.

modele d'apres J.B.Vuillaume
8754

Mirecourt, France has a centuries old tradition of violin fine making and today the Aubert workshop is carrying on that tradition. Aubert's workshop creates fine violins, violas and cellos of exceptionally high quality. This fine cello is modeled after the work of the great Jean Baptiste Vuillaume of Paris.

Monique Poullot - Chamonix *SOLD*
21206

Several examples. For more than 20 years, we have been the exclusive representatives of Monique Poullot’s bows in the United States. Her training can be traced back to the bow making school in Mirecourt run by Bernard Ouchard, as her first teacher was a graduate of the program. Well steeped in the traditional methods of the great French school, she has continued perfecting her craft with such masters as the renowned Stephane Tomachot. These bows are a great value for the price. Her wood selection is first rate, consistently rich in tonal properties and flexible across the strings. Her bows are excellent for any player looking for a good, modern French bow at an affordable price.
See our article on Monique and Jacques Poullot for more information.

Louis Gillet*SOLD*
5928

Louis Gillet (born 1891) apprenticed with Thibouville-lamy in Mirecourt and worked there as a bow maker until WW1. After the war he joined the Laberte firm until 1926 when he set up his workshop at Châlon-sur-Saône. He worked with Eugene Sartory in Paris for 12 years, adopting his style. His bows have always been highly regarded, often in the style of Sartory.