Scrollavezza & Zanrè

Scrollavezza & Zanre is a Parma workshop founded in 2002 by Elisa Scrollavezza and Andrea Zanre, active in the making, restoration and dealing of fine string instruments. The pair are widely recognised as leading experts in the field.

The workshop continues the tradition passed on through the teaching and work of Renato Scrollavezza, which for over half a century has stood for personality, warmth and delicate equilibrium. Alongside the bench they have published extensively on Italian lutherie, and one of their recent violins, inspired by a 1770s Balestrieri, the ex-Adam Han-Gorski, appears in Andrea Zanre's Liuteria Mantovana. They work from Balestrieri and from Andrea's own personal model, in which the pair's expertise and innovation come together.

Their instruments are played by professional musicians internationally, and their scholarship carries weight well beyond the workshop.

We chose our first Scrollavezza & Zanre violin because it was the standout instrument at Cremona Mondomusica, and it scored highly on sound, playability and appearance alike. Their more recent work has that rarer combination of a dark, warm tone that is nonetheless powerful, which suits a player who wants sweetness without giving up projection. It is exquisite craftsmanship married to an authentically Italian sound, and their instruments have never lingered with us.