Portrait
Pierre Smets is a Belgian luthier based in Brussels, making violins, violas and cellos. He is a talented maker who is quickly gaining an impressive reputation.
He has collaborated with Robert Brewer Young, with W. E. Hill & Sons and with the Livingstone Studio, which is unusually good company for a maker at his stage. He is willing to work with striking material: his 2024 viola was built on an impressive slab-cut back, which gives the instrument a distinctly sophisticated look and feel.
His clients include orchestral leaders and principal players across Europe.
The 2024 viola is a stunning example of what Pierre can do. The sound is powerful yet round, neither overly bright nor overly dark, with a blend of resonance, balance and power that is hard to achieve on a viola without giving something up. The fast response makes it very easy to play. He is one of the makers whose prices we expect to move, and worth knowing about now rather than later.
Played by
Orchestral leaders and principal players in Europe
Elsewhere
Compare instruments against each other, and against an antique, in a blind test with studio audio. No labels until you have chosen.
Who plays Pierre Smets instruments?
Orchestral leaders and principal players across Europe.
Where are Pierre Smets instruments made?
In Brussels, Belgium. Every instrument is then set up and checked in our own London workshop before it reaches a player.
