The contemporary violin makers we rate most highly, based on the instruments we have handled and sold, with sound observations, price context and availability.
This is our standing guide to the contemporary violin makers we rate most highly. It replaces the annual lists we used to publish, and we update it when our judgement genuinely changes, rather than when the calendar does.
Every maker here is someone whose instruments we have handled, sold and compared with other fine violins, often across several examples and over many years. Most are makers we also know personally and whose workshops we have visited.
This is not intended to be a list of the most famous living violin makers, nor a ranking from first to tenth. It is the much shorter list of makers whose work we would actively encourage a player to try.
Four things matter.
First, the instruments themselves. We are interested in sound, response, balance, craftsmanship and how much an instrument gives a player to work with.
Second, consistency. One extraordinary violin can happen. We learn much more from the fourth or fifth instrument by the same maker, particularly when different models still show a recognisable standard.
Third, what musicians actually choose. We see these instruments compared side by side every week in the showroom, and increasingly through blind comparisons in the Listening Room. The violins players ultimately take home matter more to us than reputation alone.
Finally, there are practical considerations. What does the instrument cost? Can it actually be obtained? Is there a waiting list? Can we commission another one if a player falls in love with a particular model?
Over the years we have represented more than sixty living makers. These are the ones that currently stand out most clearly.
London and Zurich. Original models informed particularly by Guarneri del Gesù. Played by Christian Tetzlaff, Kyung Wha Chung and Leonidas Kavakos.
Greiner remains the benchmark against which we tend to measure other contemporary violins.
His route into violin making was unusual: he came through music and acoustics rather than a conventional apprenticeship, and has examined and analysed more than a thousand fine instruments, including Stradivari and Guarneri violins. Yet his work is not concerned with producing exact copies. The best Greiners are immediately recognisable as his.
We have handled instruments from several periods of his career, including London examples from his most sought-after years and more recent work. The same qualities keep returning: enormous strength without hardness, a G string with exceptional depth, a precise upper register and an ability to fill a large space without the sound losing focus.
What separates the finest Greiners for us is not simply projection. There are plenty of loud violins. It is the combination of power, warmth and control. Under the bow the sound feels unusually alive, and there always seems to be more available when the player asks for it.
Greiner also directs new making at W. E. Hill & Sons, where his ideas now influence another generation of instruments.
We occasionally obtain earlier Greiner violins from private owners, and it is also possible to commission a new instrument through us. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss either route.
See instruments by Stefan-Peter Greiner
London. Guarneri del Gesù-informed work, carved freehand. Multiple VSA Gold Medals and Hors Concours distinction.
Gregg Alf has been making at the highest level for more than forty years. As co-founder of Curtin & Alf, he was one of the figures who helped establish modern American violin making on the international stage, and his instruments have been played by musicians including Ruggiero Ricci and Elmar Oliveira.
What interests us most now is how personal the work has become.
Gregg does not approach a Guarneri model as something to reproduce mechanically. Scrolls and f-holes are carved freehand, with decisions made as the work develops. We spoke with him at length about this approach in Beyond the Copy.
His 2025 violin is a good demonstration of why this matters. There is a very clear and projecting centre to the sound, but it is surrounded by warmth and overtones rather than edge. More unusual is the consistency from string to string: the violin does not demand that the player alter their technique every time they cross from G through to E. It is also exceptionally responsive, and small changes in contact point and bow pressure produce real changes of colour rather than simply more or less volume.
That combination of acoustic precision and personality is difficult to achieve. Alf's instruments are extremely dependable, but never feel engineered for dependability alone.
A 2025 violin by Gregg Alf is currently available.
Ann Arbor, Michigan. Stradivari and Guarneri models alongside his own experimental designs. MacArthur Fellow, 2005.
Joseph Curtin is probably the most scientifically minded maker on this page, but describing him simply as an innovator rather misses the point. His conventional violins are exceptionally good too.
Curtin's work with Claudia Fritz, Fan Tao and others on blind testing old and new violins has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He has lectured widely on violin acoustics, and his experimental work continually asks whether aspects of the traditional violin can be improved rather than simply accepted.
The Ultralight is the clearest expression of that approach. It uses low-density materials and includes player-adjustable string heights, tonal adjustment through small removable mutes, replaceable wear surfaces and structural details intended to reduce long-term maintenance.
But one of the best Curtins we have handled looked much more conventional. We waited more than two years for his 2023 Stradivari model and travelled to Michigan to collect it. The sound was powerful and round, with a crisp edge that gave the violin projection without making it coarse. A later 2025 example continued the theme, combining power and resonance with a number of small structural innovations intended to keep the instrument stable and performing consistently over time.
Curtin has made instruments for Yehudi Menuhin, Ruggiero Ricci, Elmar Oliveira and Cho-Liang Lin. In 2013, the ex-Ricci Curtin & Alf violin sold for $132,000, at the time an auction record for the work of living makers.
We are Joseph Curtin's UK partner and usually wait considerably longer for his instruments than for most makers on this page.
Our next Joseph Curtin violin is expected before the end of 2026.
See instruments by Joseph Curtin
Swiss, based in Granada. Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù models, particularly the "Cannone" and "Ole Bull". A violinist as well as a maker.
No maker better demonstrates why consistency matters than Marc Paquin.
We have handled a long succession of his violins across Stradivari, Guarneri, Cannone and Ole Bull models. They are not identical, and that is part of the appeal, but the underlying standard remains consistent. Marc is our most popular maker by number of instruments sold, and recent examples have often found players almost as soon as they arrived.
Being an accomplished violinist himself clearly informs the work. The setup is excellent from the beginning, the response is immediate and there is very little sense that the player needs to fight the instrument before discovering what it can do.
His Stradivari models tend towards an open, balanced sound with considerable projection and a powerful E. His Guarneri instruments have often been darker and more direct. The Cannone has become a particular favourite of ours: enormous power, a very open sound, quick response and a broad range of colours without the instrument becoming difficult to manage.
The 2026 Cannone developed that model further, with more depth and tonal range than the previous example. His recent Ole Bull violins show another side again, darker in character and with remarkable resonance through the D and G strings.
That variation is exactly why we keep ordering them. There is a recognisable Paquin quality underneath, but each instrument still has a personality of its own.
Florence. Guarneri del Gesù models for violins, particularly the "Ole Bull". Third-generation family workshop.
We worked with Paolo Vettori's cellos and violas for years before receiving one of his violins. When the first Ole Bull arrived in 2025, it immediately became one of the most memorable violins we had handled that year. The second, made in 2026, confirmed that the first was not an accident.
Both have an unusual combination of characteristics. They are dark and extremely warm in colour, yet the response is very fast. The sound is enormous without feeling forced, and there is a degree of resonance that is difficult to describe until you play one. The harder the player works, the more the instrument seems willing to give back.
That matters because some dark violins achieve their colour at the expense of immediacy, while some exceptionally powerful violins become hard or narrow when pushed. These Vettoris have done neither.
Paolo works in Florence alongside his sons Dario and Lapo and his daughter Sofia. The family workshop has a recognisable identity but is also unusually willing to experiment with models, materials and ideas, something we have seen across their violins, violas and cellos.
The last two Paolo Vettori violins we received each sold within roughly a week.
See the 2026 Paolo Vettori violin
Cremona. Stradivari, Guarneri and Guadagnini models. Best known to us for his interpretation of a 1772 G. B. Guadagnini.
Daniele Tonarelli is perhaps our clearest example of a relationship built over time. We first visited him in his Cremona workshop in 2018 and have handled and sold his violins ever since. That gives us a long run of instruments to judge, rather than one especially successful example.
Again and again we have returned to his 1772 Guadagnini model. Examples from 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have shown remarkably similar strengths: an easy and satisfying response, warmth through the middle of the instrument, a full G string and enough brilliance on the E to give the violin carrying power.
The balance is particularly important. Tonarelli's best violins let the player travel through all four strings without encountering a sudden change of character or response.
His antiquing is also among the most convincing we see regularly. It works because it is integrated into the making rather than looking like a decorative layer added afterwards.
At around £22,000 for recent examples, we think his violins occupy an unusually strong point in the contemporary market. They are serious professional instruments from a maker whose work we now know extremely well.
Our next Daniele Tonarelli violin is expected by the end of October 2026. Please contact us for details.
See instruments by Daniele Tonarelli
Cremona. Best known to us for her interpretation of the Guarneri del Gesù "Heifetz".
Ayoung An, who makes under the name Anna Arietti, has one of the more unusual routes to Cremona on this list. Born in South Korea, she moved to Italy to study at the Antonio Stradivari School, later worked with Edgar Russ and opened her own Cremona workshop in 2020.
Her story received considerably wider attention in 2024 when The New York Times profiled her journey from a violin-obsessed childhood in South Korea to running her own workshop in Cremona. We had already been following her work for several years by then.
What has interested us is the improvement from one violin to the next. Her Heifetz Guarneri has become one of the most requested younger-maker violins we carry, and we have returned to the model repeatedly.
The 2023 and 2024 instruments already had considerable richness and resonance. The 2025 example felt more complete again: extremely clear and quick in response, with real depth underneath the sound and a projecting E string with a slight edge to it. It sits on the brighter side of this list, but there is enough colour available that it never feels one-dimensional.
That combination makes the violin unusually versatile. It has immediate presence, but also responds well when a player wants to change colour rather than simply increase volume.
We generally order only one or two Arietti violins each year.
Our next Anna Arietti violin is expected around October 2026.
See instruments by Anna Arietti
Montpellier. Guarneri del Gesù models alongside designs of his own. Trained with Frédéric Chaudière and working independently since 2012.
We first knew Baptiste Juguera as a cello maker. After selling several of his cellos over a number of years, we finally received our first violin in 2025. The second followed in 2026, and the standard held between the two is one of the reasons he is here.
Both have had a rich, warm foundation with an unusually resonant G string. The 2026 example goes further through the middle, with a D string that is one of its strongest features. The A and E retain enough brilliance to stop the instrument becoming bottom-heavy, and the violin becomes noticeably more soloistic as the player moves into the upper register.
Baptiste's making is unusually hands-on even by violin-making standards. He works with hand tools, makes some of his own tools, personally selects wood in Italy and prepares his own oil and resin varnishes.
What interests us most, however, is the instrument rather than the process. At £18,000 for the 2026 violin, it is exceptionally difficult to fault as a playing proposition.
See the 2026 Baptiste Juguera violin
Helsinki. Works within the classical Italian tradition, including Stradivari and Guadagnini models.
Elina Kaljunen is a useful reminder of how much the model still matters, even in the hands of the same maker. At one point we were fortunate enough to have both her Stradivari and Guadagnini models available together, and the comparison was unusually revealing.
The Stradivari was the more immediate violin: bright, focused and powerful, with exceptionally fast response and a strong sense of projection. The Guadagnini was rounder and warmer, with resonance running through the entire register and a softer, more velvety character to individual notes.
Both still felt unmistakably well made by the same person.
Elina is a violinist herself and pays close attention to setup. That sounds like a small detail, but it has a significant effect on a trial. Her instruments tend to feel comfortable and responsive from the first few notes rather than requiring the player to imagine how they might work after substantial adjustment.
For someone deciding between a more focused Stradivari-type response and the broader warmth of a Guadagnini, comparing her two models has been especially instructive.
A Guadagnini model by Elina Kaljunen is currently available.
Canadian, based in Brandenburg an der Havel near Berlin. Known especially for Guarneri del Gesù models such as the "Lord Wilton".
Ian McWilliams makes relatively few instruments, and demand tends to exceed the number we can obtain.
The first thing most people notice is the antiquing. It is exceptionally convincing, not because the violin has simply been made to look old, but because wear, texture and varnish are integrated into the instrument as a whole. Other makers notice it too.
We are more interested in what happens when the violin is played.
His Lord Wilton has become one of the recurring models we most look forward to receiving. The 2025 example had a full and round voice, with outstanding G and D strings. The upper register was more lyrical than aggressive, but still had enough projection to work outside a purely chamber setting.
That makes McWilliams slightly different from some of the explicitly soloistic makers elsewhere in this guide. There is richness and carrying power, but not every instrument needs to announce itself immediately from the back of a hall.
We generally receive around one McWilliams violin a year.
Our next violin by Ian McWilliams is expected before the end of 2026.
See instruments by Ian McWilliams
Last meaningfully updated: August 2026.
Peter Greiner is a name which needs no introduction. It is a superb instrument from one of the world's premier makers. His instruments are played worldwide by some of the best violinists in the business. If you are looking for one of his instruments, please get in touch.
Stefan-Peter Greiner is a German violin maker working between London and Zurich, and one of the most acclaimed luthiers alive. His instruments are not copies. They are original works, defined by clarity, projection and an unusual depth of expression.
Greiner came to making through music and acoustics rather than through a conventional apprenticeship, and that background still shapes the work. He has examined and analysed over a thousand fine violins, including instruments by Stradivari and Guarneri, in order to understand what actually produces their sound. He also directs the making of new instruments at W. E. Hill & Sons in Hampstead alongside Robert Brewer Young.
His violins are played by Christian Tetzlaff, Kyung Wha Chung, Leonidas Kavakos and Clemens Hagen, by members of leading international quartets, and are held by collectors and foundations worldwide. Tetzlaff has described picking one up in the workshop and playing his first concert on it a week later.
Playing a Greiner tells you everything you need to know. The sound radiates warmth but is backed by immense strength, the G string has a depth that feels limitless, and the top end soars with precision. What sets his violins apart is the power. They do not simply project, they fill a hall with a commanding presence and never lose focus. Under the bow they feel alive. We have handled his work from his most sought-after period and it remains the benchmark we measure other contemporary violins against.
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Gregg Alf has been making at the highest level for over forty years, and you can feel that experience in every detail. This 2025 instrument takes inspiration from Guarneri del Gesù, but it's not a rigid copy. He carves the scrolls and f-holes freehand, letting the wood's natural character guide him. The varnish has this layered warmth that makes it feel like it's already been played in for decades, without the obvious antiquing. What strikes us most is the sound: there's a clear, projecting core that cuts through any space, but is wrapped in these warm, honeyed overtones that keep it from ever feeling harsh. The evenness across all four strings is exceptional. I don't have to adjust my technique when moving from the G to the E, and the responsiveness is extraordinary. The smallest shift in bow pressure or contact point opens up new colours. Alf builds with real acoustic precision, so the instrument is reliable and consistent, without ever feeling clinical or sterile. These are true concert violins, built to handle the demands of professional performance. If you're looking for the soul and depth of a historic Italian instrument with the dependability of modern making, this is as good as it gets.
Gregg Alf is an American violin maker working in London, and one of the most respected luthiers of his generation. He has been making at the highest level for over forty years, and that experience is visible in every detail of the work.
Alf trained at the Cremona Violinmaking School and went on to co-found Curtin & Alf, the partnership that did much to establish American making on the international stage. He has won multiple Violin Society of America Gold Medals and been honoured Hors Concours. He works most often from Guarneri del Gesu, though never as a rigid copy: scrolls and f-holes are carved freehand, following the character of the wood, and the varnish carries a layered warmth that reads as played-in rather than antiqued. Beyond the bench he teaches, judges competitions, and has curated exhibitions including the Messiah Stradivari showcase in Cremona and the Tokyo Stradivarius Festival.
His instruments are played by leading soloists and held in the loan collections of the Royal Academy of Music, Dextra Musica and the Amati Foundation.
Partnering with makers of this standing is the reason MyLuthier exists, and Alf sits at the top of that list. What strikes us most is the sound: a clear, projecting core that cuts through any hall, wrapped in warm, honeyed overtones that never turn harsh. The evenness across all four strings is exceptional, so there is no adjustment of technique moving from G to E, and the smallest change in bow pressure or contact point opens a new colour. He builds with real acoustic precision, which makes the instruments reliable without ever feeling clinical. If you want the depth of a historic Italian violin with the dependability of modern making, this is as good as it gets.
Another one to add to the list of recent violins from Paolo that have blown me away. This is his latest take on the Ole Bull and it is very similar to the previous examples we have had. The last two sold within a week and for very good reason. It has a unique combination of qualities which I have almost never come across in a violin. Dark but with lightning fast response. Powerful and ample with incredible projection. It is hard to put into words exactly how this violin sounds. However, as the player, you can feel its presence from the moment the bow touches the open strings. The resonance is second to none! A true gem and one of the best violins of the year, without a doubt.
Paolo Vettori is an Italian violin maker in Florence and the head of a workshop now in its third generation. He works alongside his sons Dario and Lapo and his daughter Sofia, all fine makers in their own right.
The workshop has a recognisable style and an unusual willingness to experiment, and the craftsmanship is exceptional. Paolo returns often to Guarneri del Gesu for violins, including the "Ole Bull", and to Santo Serafin for cellos. He chooses wood with real care, once describing a one-piece flamed maple back and ribs as looking like Italian marble.
Vettori instruments are played by soloists and by orchestral principals across the world, valued for a sound that is powerful and refined at once.
We have worked with the Vettori family for many years and their recent violins have repeatedly stopped us in our tracks. The Ole Bull models in particular combine qualities we almost never find together: dark in colour but with a lightning-fast response, powerful and ample with real projection. You feel the presence of one of these violins from the moment the bow touches an open string, and the resonance is second to none. The last two sold within a week each. The cellos share the same quick response and ease of playing, with an A string that sings with unusual clarity.
Elina Kaljunen from Helsinki, Finland is one of the most talented makers of her generation. She crafts stunning instruments with meticulous care and attention to detail. In addition to the Stradivari, we have this very beautiful Guadagnini model violin. It is very rare to have two models available at the same by such a talented maker so it is a great opportunity to try them both. In terms of sound, the Guadagnini is a slightly warmer instrument than the Stradivari model with a beautiful overarching resonance that is present throughout the register. It responds beautifully and every note has a velvety roundness to it that is very well suited to many different repertoires. It also packs a punch and projects beautifully in larger spaces.
Elina Kaljunen is a Finnish luthier based in Helsinki and one of the most talented makers of her generation. She works within the classical Italian tradition and is a player herself.
She draws on Cremonese, Venetian and Brescian models, returning most often to Stradivari and Guadagnini. Her craftsmanship is meticulous, and she takes particular care over setup, because as a violinist she knows how much of a player's experience of an instrument is decided there. She works closely with musicians on how each instrument is finished.
Her violins are played by professional musicians across Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.
We have been fortunate enough to have two Kaljunen models in the showroom at the same time, which is rare with a maker of her standing and makes the comparison worth having. The Stradivari model is immediately impressive: bright and powerful with real focus and projection, an extremely fast response, and a rich, deep sound that holds up even in the higher positions. The Guadagnini is the warmer of the two, with an overarching resonance right through the register and a velvety roundness to every note that suits a wide range of repertoire, and it still packs a punch in larger spaces. Highly recommended either way.
Ariel Lang is a Violinist and one of the Co-Founders of MyLuthier.co. He studied with Jack Liebeck at the Royal Academy of Music. As a freelance musician, he focuses on performing with small chamber ensembles such as the United Strings of Europe and O/Modernt.
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