Sandro Asinari – Cremona, 1994

The Maker

Sandro Asinari (b. 1969) is among the distinguished representatives of the contemporary Cremonese school of violin making. Born in Casalmaggiore, in the province of Cremona, Italy, he enrolled at the International School of Violin Making “Antonio Stradivari” in Cremona at the age of fourteen and graduated in 1987. He subsequently refined his craftsmanship under the guidance of Maestro Gio Batta Morassi, one of the most influential figures in modern Italian lutherie.

In 1991, Asinari established his own workshop in Cremona, where he has continued the centuries-old tradition of handcrafted violin making. During the early years of his independent career, he quickly gained international recognition through numerous awards at prestigious violin-making competitions. His distinctions include the Berta Prize for Best Young Violin Maker (1991), Gold and Silver Medals at the International Violin Making Competition in Baveno, the Turris Prize for Best Tone, the Conia Prize for Best Varnish, an Honourable Mention at the Triennale Internazionale di Liuteria in Cremona, and the Second Prize at the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Making Competition in Poznań, Poland.

Beyond his work as a maker, Asinari has served as an instructor at the International School of Violin Making in Cremona, where he has taught the art of scroll carving to future generations of luthiers. He has also held leadership positions within the Consorzio Liutai e Archettai “Antonio Stradivari” and the Associazione Liutaria Italiana (ALI), contributing significantly to the preservation and advancement of the Cremonese violin-making tradition.

Today, Sandro Asinari’s instruments are appreciated by professional musicians, collectors, and connoisseurs throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. His work is admired for its refined craftsmanship, elegant varnish, tonal sophistication, and faithful continuation of the classical Cremonese tradition.

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The Instrument

Crafted in Cremona in 1994, this violin belongs to the formative period of Sandro Asinari’s independent career, only three years after the establishment of his own workshop. It represents an important stage in the development of a maker whose talent had already begun to receive international acclaim through successive competition awards.

Entirely handmade in accordance with the classical Cremonese tradition, the instrument reflects Asinari’s meticulous attention to proportion, arching, edgework, and structural balance. The graceful outline, finely carved scroll, precisely executed purfling, and harmonious craftsmanship reveal the influence of the great Cremonese masters while expressing the maker’s own artistic identity.

The violin is finished with a rich amber-red varnish of remarkable transparency and depth, enhancing the natural beauty of the tonewood while demonstrating the refined varnishing techniques for which Asinari later became widely recognized.

Inside the instrument, the original printed label bears the handwritten signature of Sandro Asinari. In addition, the interior surface of the top plate carries the maker’s handwritten signature, visible through the f-hole—a distinctive and highly desirable feature that further attests to the instrument’s authenticity and the personal involvement of the maker in its completion.

Tonally, the instrument displays the qualities for which contemporary Cremonese violins are renowned: warmth, clarity, richness of colour, evenness across all four strings, and an immediate, responsive character. Its versatility makes it equally suitable for solo performance, chamber music, and orchestral repertoire.

As an early work by Sandro Asinari, created during the period in which his international reputation was first established, this 1994 violin possesses not only significant artistic and musical merit but also considerable historical and collectible value. It stands as a fine example of modern Cremonese violin making, embodying the enduring legacy of one of the world’s most celebrated centers of luthier while reflecting the individual craftsmanship of a respected contemporary Italian master.