4 Promising French Violin Makers And Their Instruments

​The way I make my instruments and my design are mostly inspired by the great Italian masters of the Renaissance who defined the standards of lutherie
​The observation of ancient instruments inspires me to look for the best wood, the most beautiful models and the best architecture for the arching.
All my work is done with sharp tools like planes, gouges but also self-made knives and flat gouges.
​I also prepare my varnishes from oil and different resins to be able to influence their colour, transparency, flexibility or hardness.

Imitating or getting inspired by centuries-old models is not enough. I am always looking for new features. I also design models of violins, altos and cellos in which I translate what I have learned from old my masters and my vision of what can make them better.

I take great care of choosing the right wood which I can buy personally in Italy to be sure of its quality. I also make some of my tools for them to adapt perfectly to my hands. I also prepare my varnishes from oil and different resins to be able to influence their colour, transparency, flexibility or hardness.

My instruments are on display in Montpellier, Paris, Washington DC, Seattle, New-York, London, South-Korea and in Japan.

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Benjamin Molinaro is a French luthier based in Montreuil, France. After receiving training in Newark and gaining work experience in the United Kingdom and France, Molinaro spent a number of years working in Bernard Sabatier's workshop on Rue de Rome in Paris. During this period, Molinaro developed a novel approach to the craft of violin making, which led him to devote his career to the art full-time.

Benjamin draws inspiration from the exceptional works of the renowned Italian craftsmen, but he prides himself on defining his own unique style and designing his own models. Since 2019, he has operated his own workshop in Montreuil, a suburb of Paris, where he specializes in crafting violins, violas, and cellos.

One of Molinaro's recent works, a cello, was selected as a semi-finalist in the inaugural International Cello Competition held in Paris.

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Passionate about music, I first started getting interested in violin making when I was in Buenos Aires in 2001. I spent most of my time in the workshop of Omar Nigrelli, under whose tutelage I first started studying restoration and subsequently violin making. In 2008, I became the assistant of Gonzalo Bayol, a string instrument maker in Santiago de Compostela. I am now in my own workshop in Aveyron, and I specialise in violas and cellos.