4 of our Most Remarkable Violins Between £20,000 and £30,000

Daniele Tonarelli is a Cremonese violin maker in the fullest sense. Born in the city, trained there, and entirely devoted to its craft. He built his first violin at fifteen, on a childhood certainty that this was the work he would do.

He trained at the Scuola Internazionale di Liuteria and with Maestro Marco Nolli, and has taken awards at Baveno, Bagnacavallo, Moscow and Cremona. His instruments sit deep in the Italian tradition while remaining unmistakably his own, and he is known particularly for his antiquing. He returns most often to a 1772 G. B. Guadagnini model, alongside violins, violas and cellos of his own.

Tonarelli instruments are played by musicians in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Spain and Iceland, from advanced students through to professional soloists and chamber players.

We met Daniele at his workshop in Cremona in 2018, in our first year, and he has been one of our most popular makers ever since. The appeal is easy to explain. His violins balance power against warmth in a way few new instruments manage, and the evenness across the strings means a player can move between them without any change of character. The response is satisfying from the first note. Of all his models, the 1772 Guadagnini is the one that captivated us early and still does.

Dario Vettori is an Italian luthier working in Florence, third generation of the Vettori family workshop alongside his father Paolo and his siblings Lapo and Sofia.

He began studying in 2001 at the Associazione Liutaria Italiana Professionisti, and works with the family models and wood stocks accumulated across three generations, alongside spruce from the Val di Fiemme. He works from Stradivari among other models. The Vettori name carries a standard, and his work meets it on its own terms rather than as an inheritance.

His instruments are played by soloists and orchestral musicians internationally.

The 2022 Florence violin was a masterpiece. It looks stunning, but the point is the sound: consistent, powerful and brilliant across every register, rich and clear and balanced, with a robust projection that fills a concert hall. It offers a wide dynamic range and a warm, resonant tone that suits solo and orchestral playing equally. It is a joy to play and to listen to, and a fair testament to what the family name stands for.

Mina Mazzolari was born in Korea in 1980 and is an award-winning luthier working in Cremona, in the workshop of Edgar Russ. She makes violins, violas and cellos, and is known for soloist-level instruments that consistently deliver on sound.

She studied piano for many years before her interest turned to stringed instruments, and after finishing school she went to the International Violinmaking School in Cremona. She competed at the International Competition for Stringed Instruments in 2003 and again in 2009, taking an honorary mention for a viola that placed fourth. She works from Guarneri del Gesu for violins and Montagnana for cellos, and her instruments carry certification from her and from the Consorzio Liutai Antonio Stradivari.

Her instruments are in high demand across Europe and beyond, particularly among soloists and chamber musicians.

We tried one of Mina's violins in Cremona and were immediately struck by the sound. It has a laser-like focus and a response that is very satisfying to play into, and it is the obvious choice for anyone looking for depth and projection together. Her Montagnana cellos have the physical and tonal characteristics of an antique Italian instrument, responding very quickly and projecting extremely well, with an outstanding low register and a powerful top. They suit a player who does a lot of solo and chamber repertoire and needs to be heard.

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.