Portrait
Alessandro di Matteo is an Italian luthier based in Cremona and one of the most meticulous makers in the city.
He came to making from playing. After graduating in violin and working as a teacher, he spent 1984 to 1995 as first violin in a symphony orchestra, and at the same time developed Hi-Fi systems out of an interest in how sound actually works. That led him to a constructive theory of the violin, drawn from old manuscripts and testimonies as well as modern acoustics, supported by the maker and musician Alessandro Crylov. He then attended the Scuola Internazionale di Liuteria Antonio Stradivari in Cremona, graduating in 1998, and has taught there since 2001. He works from Guarneri del Gesu.
His instruments are played by professional violinists in Italy and abroad, several placed through us.
We were glad to get hold of one of Alessandro's violins because his standard of finish is exceptional even by Cremonese measure. The defining characteristics are power and precision. The sound is crisp and focused rather than diffuse, and the instrument is very easy to play. The E string is the standout, and in projection and capability it is genuinely reminiscent of the best del Gesu violins.
Elsewhere
Compare instruments against each other, and against an antique, in a blind test with studio audio. No labels until you have chosen.
What models does Alessandro di Matteo work from?
Guarneri del Gesu.
Where are Alessandro di Matteo instruments made?
In Cremona, Italy. Every instrument is then set up and checked in our own London workshop before it reaches a player.
