Violin by Stefan-Peter Greiner, London

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.