Portrait
Alessandro Ciciliati is an Italian luthier born in 1959 and based in Ferrara. He is credited with reviving the violin making tradition of the city, and with securing its place in the wider history of the craft.
He met the maker Ivano Coratti in 1977 and studied with him, absorbing the philosophy behind the work as much as the technique, and their friendship shaped his whole approach. He was awarded an Honorary Mention at the Cremona Triennale in 1994. He is also an orchestral conductor, and works in unusual materials when the instrument calls for it, including poplar. In 2009 he made a pair of twin violas from the same piece of wood, one of which is played in Rome.
His instruments are played by professional musicians in Italy and abroad.
The viola we had from Alessandro was unique, with a stunning one-piece poplar back and a back length of 45cm, which makes it one of the largest violas we have ever come across. The sound matches the dimensions. It is undeniably on the large side, but it will reward a player who can manage the proportions, and there is nothing else like it in contemporary making.
Elsewhere
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Where are Alessandro Ciciliati instruments made?
In Ferrara, Italy. Every instrument is then set up and checked in our own London workshop before it reaches a player.
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