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Portrait
Wolfgang Schiele is a German master luthier making violins and cellos from his workshop in Munich, which he opened in 1990.
He trained at the violin making school in Mittenwald and then worked in a series of significant workshops, Bodart & Dariel, J. Dariel, P. & W. Moes and Peter Biddulph, before setting up on his own. He works from Guarneri del Gesu but personalises the model, notably through changes to the arching, and finishes in a rich brown-red varnish. He is a member of the Verband Deutscher Geigenbauer und Bogenmacher.
His instruments are played by chamber and orchestral musicians across Germany and internationally.
We met Wolfgang in Cremona and were immediately impressed by the sound and response of his cellos. The 2019 cello had fantastic brilliance and resonance, very satisfying to play into, and it was strikingly even, with the whole instrument behaving as a single string across the range, which is rare and hard to achieve. His violins share the character: bright and powerful with an immediate, focused response, projecting easily and resonating well even in a larger hall.
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 Wolfgang Schiele work from?
Guarneri del Gesu, personalised through changes to the arching.
Where are Wolfgang Schiele instruments made?
In Munich, Germany. Every instrument is then set up and checked in our own London workshop before it reaches a player.
