Newark School of Violin Making

04/09/2026

We were very pleased to hear our Tutor John Wright and his Partner Clarice Rarity at their inaugural concert as part of .sior last week. They performed in the magnificent St Mary Magdeline parish church opposite the violin school. We understand the two violins were both made by John, one from 2016 when he was a student and one from 2024 as part of his VSA quartet submission. The wonderful viola you can hear being played by Clarice, is a stunning Matthew Hardie that is based on a slightly enlarged version of a long pattern Strad violin. The viola is on loan jointly to .sior but also the school with the hope that some students will be inspired by its unique model and qualities. We hope to see a few copies spawned once the measurements are all carefully taken down. A huge Thankyou to - Ben Hebbert for such a kind loan of this very special instrument.

29/06/2026

Another fantastic celebration evening, highlighting the success of our Class of 2026 students! 🎻

09/06/2026

04/05/2026

The past two weeks have been a tale of 3 Florian’s.

Firstly we were very happy to welcome Florian Leonhard. Florian very generously took time away from his famous London workshop schedule, to present an all encompassing talk to the students. Not only did we receive a fascinating insight to the violin world from a very personal angle, but we were treated to a spread of stunning historically significant instruments that brought the lecture to life even more. A gorgeous mid golden period Stradivari, a humbling Guarneri del Gesu from the late 1730’s, and to make the point that Cremona was hot but not the only spot, we had a glorious Peter Guarneri of Venice from the early 1720’s to link the timeline. Our 3rd year tutor John Wright was graciously allowed to demonstrate the sound of each instrument to the students and help illustrate the conversation of the vastly different arch shapes and how they might impact the tonal qualities. The set was also completed by a Stradivari model violin fresh from Florian’s own workshop and I think all in attendance were impressed by how it compared to the old masters on show with it.

Next up, our second year students had the gift of Florian Bailey’s time to illuminate more, the world of bows on our course. This generous guest lecture, from one of the UK’s top bow restorers, brings a perfect compliment of something different yet extremely relevant, to our 2nd years who often start to consider what avenue of the profession they may journey along.

Last but by no means least, we have our very own 2nd year repair and restoration lecturer, Florian Forconi, who celebrated a very special birthday this week. Happy birthday Flo from all the staff and students 🎂.

Three very different Florian’s that all bring their unique qualities to the journey of our students. A perfect demonstration of the huge benefits we see from all working together towards a worthy cause.

Thanks to all involved for organising and coordinating these essential visits, that undoubtedly punctuate the deep dive of a journey our students take at Newark.

20/04/2026

Today’s the day!!

Our final year students started their famous 5 week test this morning. To lighten the mood and calm the nerves, we set off some confetti cannons to mark the start line.

They have 5 weeks to produce their best effort toward a faithful representation of a golden period Stradivari violin in the white (Without varnish ). It’s a moment that the students will hold in their mind from the first day of study at the school and it represents our method of measuring and presenting all the fine skills that they have been honing over the past 3 or in many cases , 4 years.

Please join us in wishing them well at such an important bench mark in their career. Shares and comments all welcome.

09/04/2026

Just before sending our students home for a well earned Easter break, we were delighted to welcome two great friends and longstanding supporters of the school.

Peter Beare returned to give his annual pre-test talk to our third-year students, ahead of their renowned five-week exam. Lorraine Bitaud joined us to lead an intensive focus on advanced setup, preparing students for their week-long professional standards test.

Peter will return again in June to oversee the marking of this year’s cohort of ten third-year students and their “test” violins.

Peter, along with key members of his family business, have long played an important role in both the external marking and preparation of our final year student exams. Lorraine is a more recent and hugely valued addition, bringing her own exceptional expertise to this crucial stage of the students’ journey.

As ever, the school is deeply grateful for the continued support and mentorship of visiting speakers and industry experts, whose involvement enriches the level of training we offer.

These legacy connections, underpinning the living heritage of our teaching, continue to light the way for a bright new generation of violin makers and restorers emerging from Newark.

If you know someone who might fit the mold of a luthier of tomorrow, we would welcome your support in signposting them to what has long been a well proven training ground for the profession.

https://musicalinstrumentcrafts.co.uk/