We would like to express our deepest gratitude to @_cremonasera for the outstanding article recently published, celebrating the extraordinary initiatives and achievements of our Academia di Liuteria.
It is with great pride that we continue to spread the word and share our unceasing commitment with an ever-growing public.
Our heartfelt thanks go to Cremonasera for presenting the important work ‘Enciclopedia dei liutai italiani dal Novecento ad oggi’ at the majestic Palazzo Mina Bolzesi in via Platina, in collaboration with the Academia Cremonensis. This monumental encyclopaedia, skilfully edited by Gualtero Nicolini and Fabrizio Loffi and published by Cremonasera, represents an authentic masterpiece in the history of violin making, with over 800 pages and the presentation of over six thousand Italian violin makers, accompanied by photographs and precious details.
During the presentation evening, Academia’s director, Nicholas Gamberini, welcomed the guests, while Cremonasera’s editor-in-chief, Mario Silla, explained the reasons that motivated the local newspaper to invest so much effort in this project, emphasising the importance of violin making as an element of Cremona’s identity in the world.
The authors, Gualtiero Nicolini (President of Anlai) and Fabrizio Loffi (an expert journalist from Cremona in historical and archival research), shared their extraordinary effort in collecting data, news and images concerning Italian violin makers, thus expanding a project that began over fifteen years ago. Nicolini highlighted the challenges encountered during the research, including the difficulties in obtaining information from some violin-making schools, emphasising the importance of the result obtained and envisaging the possibility of an English-language edition.
Fabrizio Loffi recounted the approach to the work, highlighting the difficulties and the ardent desire to fill a gap in knowledge. He also pointed out the profound significance of violin making in Cremona and why local information and historical research cannot ignore this extraordinary sector, an integral part of Cremona’s identity.
In closing, Loffi mentioned the ongoing work on the figure of Antonio Stradivari and the possible publication of new documents on his life.
During the event, we had the pleasure of hosting numerous violin makers from all over the world, as well as the president of the Fondazione Monzino in Milan, Antonio Monzino. The evening ended with a splendid guitar concert by the Cantiga duo.
We sincerely thank Cremonasera for celebrating and sharing this extraordinary work with the world and for giving us the opportunity to make our commitment to violin making known. We are grateful for your continued support and collaboration.
24 September 2023
Presented at Palazzo Mina the “Encyclopaedia of Italian Violin Makers from the 20th Century to Today”, published by Cremonasera
In the magnificent halls of Palazzo Mina Bolzesi in Via Platina, guests of the Academia Cremonensis, yesterday evening Anlai and Cremonasera presented the monumental work “Encyclopaedia of Italian Violin Makers from the 20th Century to Today” published by Cremonasera and edited by Gualtero Nicolini and Fabrizio Loffi. Over 800 pages, six thousand names with photographs and cartouches, the book marks a milestone in the history of violin making.
After a welcome from Academia director Nicholas Gamberini, Cremonasera director Mario Silla explained the reasons why a local daily newspaper has made such an effort on the subject of violin making, Cremona’s identifying motif in the world. It was then the turn of the two authors to recount the extraordinary effort to find data, news and images on violin makers, expanding a previous work of over fifteen years ago.
Gualtiero Nicolini (president of Anlai) emphasised that not all violinmaking schools collaborated in providing their graduates and so the research also had to take alternative routes made up of acquaintances, telephone calls, online searches and much more.
“The result is really satisfying,” said Nicolini, “and we are already thinking about the English-language edition. Fabrizio Loffi, a Cremonese journalist and expert in historical and archival research, emphasised the approach he had taken to the work, the difficulties, but also the desire to fill a space that had been missing until now. A brief mention was also made of the significance of violin making in Cremona and why local information and historical research cannot ignore the violin and everything that has moved around the sector over the centuries, the true identity of our Cremona. In conclusion, Fabrizio Loffi mentioned the work being done on the figure of Antonio Stradivari and the possibility of a publication with new documents on his life.
Among the guests of the evening were several luthiers from all over the world and Antonio Monzino, president of the Monzino Foundation in Milan. The evening concluded with a splendid guitar concert by the Cantiga duo.
