Ihle Violins

Beauty may happen in the dynamics of lines, in the tension between strength and fragility, in the shimmering game between light and shadow ... This is what I love about violin making.

Filtering by Tag: The Calleva Collection

The Calleva Collection of contemporary instruments

It was a very special line up of some of Europe's most celebrated violin makers at the Royal Academy of Music last night in London. 

People behind the Calleva Collection of contemporary instruments


For the first time since it's foundation five years ago, the instruments of the Calleva Collection were performed on publicly, by students of the RAM. I took this picture at an apero after the concert. Grouped around Caroline Butt (red skirt, center), the generous and visionary founder of the Calleva Collection are some of the makers who built instruments for this unique collection, amongst others: Peter Beare, Stephan Krattenmacher, Andrea Frandsen, Andrew Fairfax, Gregg Alf, Christoph Götting, Tibor Semmelweis, Frank Ravatin, Marc Soubeyran. If you recognize someone I have not identified, please give me a hand! The lady on the far right is the head of strings Jo Cole, next the Caroline Butt sits Angela .. Head of Museums. 
I feel great admiration for this grand old dame, the RAM, for the way "she" takes on and follows through this courageous and visionary project. The collection only accepts new looking instruments and, yes, they looked great on stage!

Background image by Marius Bukis.