Wanted to know more?
I have always been very opened about my personality, my style and my choices for my business and since I'm a passionate girl I'm happy to share this with you. If you are interested well this is where you can read about it... :)
Who is she anyway?
Born in south of France to an Italian family of music lovers who often sang along but did not play, it became quite quickly evident that I was "once of those" (only Neurodivergent...)
I was not good at school since I spent all my time dreaming of a better life where my true self would be - if not celebrated at least recognised.
I played the piano for 13 years and never really stopped playing music after that.
In art school I discovered wood carving and textures and in advertising school I honed my skills in all other visual arts and marketing.
But really it's when I met by chance a young cellist and his cello made by his violin maker brother that everything fell into place for me. I left the advertising school and went to England to get my training at the Newark School of Violin Making and Restoration, Notts. I was very grateful that the school's approach to violin making is that of a modern career with a lot of scope for the future, despite being niche.
I met another violin maker there, Douglas Macarthur, and moved to Scotland to live with him. I've been a much loved luthier in Scotland since 2006 except for an accidental 7 years maternity leave to focus on raising our three beautiful sons.
Vision
Magic happens when one's life focus is to get extraordinary beauty and divine sound to prevail. In this disposable fast society, what if my instruments had to be the best thing I can ever produce? What if my goal was to serve players? And what if with the best materials, the most meticulous care, patience and love I can make violas and cellos that help them be the best players they can ever be?
What if modern makers were out there to change the game?
I am a maker for the love of music and if you are a string musician, I am at your service.
I am equally happy to use one of my own models, designed according to my ideas of acoustics and aesthetics, or to use a classical model.
I specialise in rich sounding small instruments, in particular a Gasparò da Sálo 1580 (15"1/2) viola model and a 74cm cello I designed myself. My players' comfort is very important and I will work until the instrument is fitted to your preferences. Each instrument is unique and I often add inlays and/or decorations on the back. Just because.
And don't forget to read below about my ethics....
Ethics
I make radical choices for my business which cost me more but cost less to the planet and its people. My spruce and maple are sourced in Europe. My ebony is ethical and sustainable as much as it can be traced. As a result it is not entirely black and I don't dye it because that is not environmental. I rarely use other exotic wood for my fittings but prefer British and European wood such as olive, box and some fruit wood.
I have stopped using real horse hair for bow re-hair because horse welfare is no longer guaranteed. In some cases horses go through unspeakable atrocities. We are now very far from the traditional hair harvesting of the past.
I may consider Coruss or other synthetic alternative upon request.
I cook my own varnish and use very little to no pigments or dyes in the varnishing process of the instruments.
I support Women In Lutherie, a network of female makers celebrating an alternative way to sell and interact with players branching of from 'traditional' lutherie.