Cello by Stefano Marzi, 2021

Stefano Marzi is an Italian maker based in Florence, working principally on cellos alongside violins and violas. He came to the craft from cabinetmaking and restoration, then through music, studying the violin before turning to making.

His route was unusual. Rather than a conservatoire training, Marzi learned through his encounter with the Vettori family in Florence, three generations of makers who gave him a constant point of comparison and access to their models and to the Bisiach family varnish formulas. He works today from Montagnana, Stradivari, Guarneri, Guadagnini and Storioni models, using Balkan and local maple and spruce he selects himself from the Paneveggio forest in the Val di Fiemme.

His cellos are played by musicians across the United Kingdom and Europe, and in the United States, Canada and Singapore.

Marzi is one of our most popular makers and, at his price point, one of the most impressive we have found. His Montagnana cellos pair a powerful, brilliant A string with a rich, resonant lower register, which is a rare combination in Montagnana-inspired instruments. The sound is focused and balanced, the setup offers a pleasing resistance that lets a player explore the full range, and under the bow the instrument feels alive while staying sensitive in quiet playing. His work rarely stays with us for long.