My References
Many well-known artists have been playing my instruments for years and are enthusiastic about their quality. They are played in countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, England, France, Korea, Norway, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Russia, Switzerland, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand and USA.
Internationally recognized soloists, professional musicians in orchestras and chamber music ensembles, professors, music students and ambitious hobby musicians – (whose notable listing would go too far) – own an instrument made by me.
Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, Hellen Weiss, Gabriel Schwabe, Frans Helmerson, David Geringas, Mischa Maisky,
Alexander Baillie, Claudio Bohórquez, Alban Gerhardt, and many other musicians personally confirmed to me the high tonal quality of the instruments.
Many well-known artists have been playing my instruments for years and are enthusiastic about their quality. They are played in countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, England, France, Korea, Norway, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Russia, Switzerland, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand and USA.
Internationally recognized soloists, professional musicians in orchestras and chamber music ensembles, professors, music students and ambitious hobby musicians – (whose notable listing would go too far) – own an instrument made by me.
Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, Hellen Weiss, Gabriel Schwabe, Frans Helmerson, David Geringas, Mischa Maisky,
Alexander Baillie, Claudio Bohórquez, Alban Gerhardt, and many other musicians personally confirmed to me the high tonal quality of the instruments.
Isabelle van Keulen
Since spring 2022 she has been playing a violin model: Gabriel Lemböck ‘Guarneri’.
These pictures show her during a rehearsal with the Heilbronner Kammerorchester and after a chamber concert at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
Audio examples:
Anastasia Kobekina & Boris Pergamenschikow
Boris Pergamenschikow, Sebastian Klinger & Danjulo Ishizaka
In 1999, I built a cello copy at Boris Pergamenschikow’s request of his Italian instrument made by Domenico Montagnana. He played concerts on it, including a great performance of the Dvorak concerto op.104 in Jena.
Pergamenschikow also loaned the instrument to his student, Sebastian Klinger, who won the German Music Competition 2001 and recorded his first CD with it. He played all concerts on the cello during this time.
In accordance with his wishes, Pergamenschikow’s cello remained in his family’s possession after his death. His widow, Tanja, lent the cello to the Kronberg Pergamenschikow Foundation, from which it was subsequently made available to Danjulo Ishizaka.
Audio examples:
Sebastian Klinger from his debut CD
Danjulo Ishizaka
Jens Peter Maintz
From 2006, Jens Peter Maintz owned the cello model ‘Pergamenschikow,’ which is now owned by his former student Nadja Reich.
In October 2010, Maintz and I collaborated to create his current cello, a Montagnana ‘Grande’.
Audio examples:
Raphael Wallfisch & Cobus Swanepoel
I have known Raphael Wallfisch since 1994, when he was a juror at The Strad Cello and Bow Making Competition in Manchester, England. Out of 56 submitted cellos, he liked mine best, which went on to receive 5th place in the competition. Raphael later purchased this cello, and since then has owned several others of mine. One of my cellos is currently played by his son, Simon.
Cobus Swanepoel took over the Grancino-model cello from Raphael Wallfisch in 2018, when the latter retired from his professorship at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). Swanepoel quickly fell in love with this cello and sent me the following message:
Martina Schucan
Professor Martina Schucan teaches at the Zurich University of the Arts. In April 2013 I was asked to build a copy of her Grancino cello which she uses in her position as a permanent faculty member of ZHdK.
Amit Peled & Elham Al Marzooqi
Amit Peled owned a Montagnana ‘Grande’ from 2010 to 2020, at which time it became the property of his former student Frances Grace Borowsky.
Amit continues to recommend my instruments, including to Elham Al Marzooqi, “the UAE’s first female Emirati cellist.” Elham visited my workshop in November 2021 and has since owned the Stradivari model ‘Cristiani.’
Audio examples:
Live recordings
Eri Sugita
Eri Sugita is a violist in the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Helsinki and has played this viola since 2011.
Natalia Gutman
Since 1997, Natalia Gutman has owned this 5-string cello, which I built at her request. The cello was displayed at that year’s Cello Festival in Kronberg, where David Geringas played it and was impressed by its balance and sound characteristics.
In Moscow, Alexander Rudin performs with the cello and has used it to record several CDs.
Marcio Botelho & Charlie Powers
Marcio Botelho & Charlie Powers were cellists in the chamber orchestra of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. They both purchased cellos from me in 2010. Charlie Powers now plays in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Marcio Botelho is enjoying retirement after 29 years in the Marines.
Charlie Powers is now a member of the cello section of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Madlaina Degen
A member of the Osnabrück Symphony Orchestra, Madlaina Degen has owned her Schnabl viola since 2006, when she was a student.
The viola has acquired wonderful natural wear and tear through intensive daily playing. Since the wooden base is still ‘clean’ despite the wear and tear of the paint/patina, my perfect primer on the wood is clearly visible here, which is in no way inferior to the old Italians.