Du's Violin
About Du’s Violin
Duzhao is an excellent violin makers, with over 16 years experience. His instruments are widely acclaimed for their exquisite manufacturing details and excellent timbre. He would like to communicate with worldwide players to make instruments to your satisfaction.
Du Zhao - A Rising Star in the World of Violin Making
Du (Du Zhao) was born in Zhugou, Queshan, a small town of central China's Henan Province. Since his childhood, he has shown great interest and talent in handicraft. A coincident visit to a violin workshop inspired his passion for making the instrument. He was stunned by the process of turning pieces of wood into instruments that created delightful sounds. In 2006, 18-year-old Du Zhao came to Majuqiao, Tongzhou, Beijing to learn violin making.
The business of violin making started booming in Beijing in the 1980s, attracting many migrants from Queshan to work in the trade, and Du Zhao’ master is one of them. After working in his master’s violin workshop for 6 years, Du became an independent luthier at a very early age thanks to his talent, hard work and willingness to learn.
In 2012, he attended the violin making training class of the Central Conservatory of Music. In the same year, he opened his own workshop named “Du’s Violin” in Beijing. The violins and cellos he made were immediately popular among students who were preparing for grade exams. Not content with this, the young violin maker spent most of his time crafting and perfecting his instruments.
In 2018, he was invited to participate in the International Musical Instrument Exhibition in Cremona, Italy, and had the chance to communicate and exchange violin making techniques with Italian master violin makers of the famous Morassi’s family. He also visited the Violin Museum, learning how classical violins of Stradivari and Guarneri are made. Combined with his understanding of violin making for many years, it further strengthened his confidence in moving towards the high-end violins.
When he returned to China, he nearly locked himself in the workshop to learn, practice, mediate and improve. To deepen the understanding of music and violin, he read a large number of music classics, learning from representatives of the Chinese school of music, including violinist Ma Sicong, pianist Yin Chengzong, composers Chen Peixun, Shi Wanchun, Bao Yuankai, and violin maker Dai Hongxiang. He was very fortunate to receive the guidance of Zheng Quan and Song Maolin, professors of the Central Conservatory of Music. He took two years to make a satisfactory violin under great economic pressure, working 14-16 hours everyday and forsaking nearly all recreational activities.
Making a high-quality violin needs focused work involving over 100 procedures and calls for artistic craftsmanship and precise technical skills. Du believes that the craft has helped him build a calm character. From selecting and sawing the wood to shaping and carving, he attaches importance to every tiny bit of work. Subtle differences in the materials, such as the hardness or the humidity of the wood, will affect the performance of the instrument, he says.
It is proved that his efforts are paying back. At present, his instruments are widely acclaimed for their exquisite manufacturing details and excellent timbre. Musicians of the China National Symphony Orchestra have been playing on instruments he made. Through word of mouth, professors and students of music colleges, performers from Italy and other European countries have placed orders in his workshop.
Du says, to be a true master luthier, he clearly knows that he still has a long way to go, but he is full of confidence in the prospect of his career development.
