Bulgarian and Balkan Violin Maker and Restorer, майстора на цигулки: The Instruments

The instruments described in these pages are made in my one-person shop in Kazanlyk, Bulgaria. I make violins for professional players and serious students who are approaching professional level. As of 1995, I had made almost 200 instruments, which are being played professionally in Europe, Asia, and U.S.A . For violin makers, there are few options available in the choice of materials. Because I am a traditional maker, working on historic models, using hand tools and older methods, I use only traditional materials. The wood in my instruments comes from the same parts of Europe as the original Cremona’s makers' wood is believed to have come. I select and prepare the wood for maximum stability, resulting in instruments that remain relatively unchanged through the seasons and usually require a minimum of maintenance. I work on traditional forms, modeled on those still extant from the shop of Antonio Stradivari, and use the traditional templates and tools of a 17th century violin maker.