THE COURSE.
The vocational training course is intended for Italian or foreign youth and adults-as long as they have a residence permit-and has a total duration of five school years. Its goal is to train professionals who have acquired, not only the technical skills, but also that enthusiasm, love of tools and passion that are indispensable for building works of art. Students are asked for commitment, dedication, and study; but above all they are encouraged to fall in love with the craft of violin making.
The rooms are equipped and set up to allow all students work independently,
benefiting from the constant guidance given to them individually by the teacher
during the activities. The concept is based on that of a traditional violin-making
workshop based on the personal relationship between master and student.
Classes are held from October to June for two days per week and require a daily
commitment of eight hours distributed between morning and afternoon. In total, the course involves about 2,500 hours of compulsory attendance, the majority of which are devoted to the violin-making workshop.
At the end of the course the student should have made two quartets comprising two violins, a viola and a cello: one in school and one in extracurricular practice.
Class schedule: Wednesday and Thursday 9 a.m.-1 p.m./14 p.m.-6 p.m.
THE SUBJECTS OF STUDY
The five-year course, geared toward a primarily hands-on approach, focuses on the construction of violins, violas and cellos. Students will have the opportunity to learn the technical basics of using the tools as well as their sharpening, while at the same time delving into the historical and stylistic aspects of Italian violin making. From the second year, the tasks done during workshop hours should supported by assiduous independent practice, so as to consolidate and deepen the acquired techniques.
During the five years of the course, subjects fundamental to the completion of the
professional luthier will also be covered: the study of the main methods of varnishing and finishing, notions of drawing, wood technology, acoustics, and an introduction to the maintenance and restoration of instruments and bows.
Each year the students of the violin making course will have the opportunity to take individual instrument lessons with a qualified teacher in order to have basic rudiments to be able to judge for themselves the acoustic result of the instruments produced. However, each student will be accompanied taking into account his or her level of musical study.