Portrait
Joseph Curtin is an American violin maker based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and one of the most respected and most innovative makers in the world. He builds instruments for the most demanding musical settings, from auditions and competitions through to solo recitals and concertos.
His work sits at the intersection of craft and research. Collaborations with Claudia Fritz and Fan Tao produced three papers on the blind testing of violins, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and he has lectured on the art and science of making at physics colloquia at Stanford, Princeton and Cornell, and at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. He writes regularly for The Strad and Strings. His "Ultralight" violin uses low-density woods and an advanced acoustical design to cut weight, with colour-coded micro-mutes for adjusting timbre, player-adjustable string heights, and a construction built to resist the wear that traditional instruments accept as inevitable. He was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2005.
His violins have been built for Erick Friedman, Ilya Kaler, Cho-Liang Lin, Elmar Oliveira, Yehudi Menuhin and Ruggiero Ricci. In 2013 the "ex-Ricci" Curtin & Alf violin sold at auction for $132,000, a world record at the time for a living maker.
We are Joseph's only partner in the United Kingdom and have worked with him for years. His instruments are worth waiting for, and we have waited: over two years for one Stradivari model, which one of us flew to the United States to collect. The sound was powerful yet round, with a crisp, biting edge that makes projection effortless. His recent work combines power, resonance, nuance, balance and response in a way that is genuinely a player's dream, and is full of small innovations aimed at keeping the instrument sounding its best for decades. We were the first dealer anywhere to offer the Ultralight.
Played by
Erick Friedman, Ilya Kaler, Cho-Liang Lin, Elmar Oliveira, Yehudi Menuhin, Ruggiero Ricci
Elsewhere
Compare instruments against each other, and against an antique, in a blind test with studio audio. No labels until you have chosen.
What is different about Joseph Curtin’s Ultralight violin?
Joseph Curtin’s Ultralight combines a lighter construction with features that let the player adjust its setup and sound. These include an adjustable neck, an integrated chinrest and removable micro-mutes. It is a concert instrument designed around projection, playing comfort and practical improvements to the traditional violin.
Can players adjust the sound and string height of a Curtin Ultralight?
Yes. The Ultralight’s string height can be adjusted using a key at the base of the neck, while small magnetic micro-mutes allow the player to soften the instrument’s timbre. These features make it possible to adapt the instrument to different playing situations. We can demonstrate how they work when you try one.
What models does Joseph Curtin work from?
Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesu, and his own Ultralight design.
Who plays Joseph Curtin instruments?
Erick Friedman, Ilya Kaler, Cho-Liang Lin, Elmar Oliveira, Yehudi Menuhin and Ruggiero Ricci have all had instruments built for them, alongside professional players internationally.
Where are Joseph Curtin instruments made?
In Ann Arbor, the United States.
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