Violin making in the Netherlands is a flourishing profession to which the NGV wishes to make a positive contribution.
Membership of the NGV offers musicians the certainty that they are dealing with a recognized violin maker who offers a guarantee on all activities carried out by him or her, whether this concerns the making of a new instrument, restoration, expertise or supplying an old instrument.
One of the objectives of the NGV is to advice and educate the music playing public professionally and honestly.
NGV stands for an open and transparent way of working and acting*. Members of the NGV interact in a collegial manner and are open to share knowledge.
NGV is the Dutch group of violin- and bowmakers.
The NGV was founded in 1949 as Nederlandse Groep van Vioolmakers (Dutch Group of Violin Makers) and consisted of about 10 members. They mostly concentrated on repairing and restoring and dealing in violins. In later years, the group extended to 29 members, more and more of whom also engaged in making new stringed instruments and several of whom concentrated solely on making and restoring bows. Therefore the full name (but not the abbreviation) of NGV has been adapted to Nederlandse Groep van Viool- en Strijkstokkenmakers (Dutch Group of Violin- and Bowmakers).
We gladly welcome new members! Have you had sound professional training, attained recognition as a craftsman or -woman, acquired respect and a good name, and have you been established as a violin- or bowmaker in the Netherlands for at least three years? Please contact us so we can tell you more. Applications for membership are judged by the membership as a whole.
HAlthough some renowned violin makers have learned their trade on the job, this is becoming increasingly hard to realise in The Netherlands. Therefore, the NGV recommends those interested in becoming a violin maker to go to a recognized school.
To be a good violin maker, we think that at least a havodiploma (GSCE levels in 4 subjects), followed by a violin making course of at least 3 years is advisable. After that, one should acquire practical experience, ideally several years in different workshops, before starting out on one’s own.
In The Netherlands, no official schools for violin making exist. Well known schools are:
Newark College, United Kingdom
Address:
Friary Road
Newark upon Trent NG24 1PB
Tel: +44 1636 680680
E-mail: jmaynard@lincolncollege.ac.uk
Website: www.lincolncollege.ac.uk
Mittenwald, Germany
Address:
Staatliche Berufsschule und
Berufsfachschule Mittenwald
Schöttlkarstraße 17
D-82481 Mittenwald
Tel: +49 8823 1353
E-Mail: info@instrumentenbauschule.eu< /a>
Website: www.instrumentenbauschule.eu
Cremona, Italy
Address:
Scuola Internazionale Di Liuteria ‘Antonio Stradivari’
Corso Garibaldi 178, IT-26100
Cremona, Italy
Tel: +39 372 38 689
E-mail: info@ipiall.it
Website: www.scuoladiliuteria.com
Salt Lake City, United States
Address:
Violin Making School of America LLC
304 East 200 South,
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Tel: +1 (801) 209-3494
E-mail: info@vmsa.net
Website: www.vmsa.net/index.html
Boom, Belgium
Address:
ILSA - Muziekinstrumentenbouw
Beukenlaan 44 /1
B-2850 Boom
Tel: +32 (0)3 880 82 00
Fax: +32 (0)3 880 82 29
E-mail: info.ptsboom@provincieantwerpen.be
Website: www.ilsa.nu
Pine, maple and ebony: these types of wood have for centuries formed the basis of that acoustic miracle, the violin. The combination of pine for the belly and maple for the back, sides and scroll, has been surpassed by no other combination; even the latest technology has produced no materials which equal the acoustic and enduring qualities of this ingenious choice of woods!
Many old instruments have been carefully kept in good condition by player and restorer, so that they can still be played, while when they were new they were already played by great virtuosi such as Corelli, Vivaldi, Tartini, Viotti, etc.
Luckily, beautiful modern instruments also find their way into the hands of the soloists. If these instruments are as carefully handled by players and violin makers as the old master instruments are now, then in years to come the better modern instruments, as the "antiques of the future", will fulfil the same role the old master instruments have now.
The most common repairs and/or maintenance work that members of the NGV come across are: