About the British Violin Making Association

The British Violin Making Association was formed in 1995 with the following aims:

• *to raise the standard of skill and expertise of makers and restorers
• *to share information among makers and restorers
• *to promote the craft to the general public
• *to promote fellowship among all those interested in violins and bows

Events

Among the events organised by the association are:

• - BVMA Makers’ Day, an annual showcase for contemporary violin-makers and bow-makers held each March in London.
• - BVMA Violin Restoration and Bow-Making Course, a nine-day course held bi-annually at Easter for professional makers
• - BVMA Conference which features a combination of speakers, an exhibition and a concert and is an opportunity for members to meet

In 1998 the BVMA held its first exhibition, 400 Years of Violin Making in the British Isles, at the Royal Academy of Music in London. This was the first major event of its kind ever to be staged, with a display of over 100 instruments and bows made by British makers from the 16th century to the present day, plus a day of lectures related to the exhibition.

In the Spring of 2004 the First BVMA International Violin and Bow Making Competition took place, in conjunction with the RAM, as part of The Genius of the Violin festival. Over 350 violins and bows were submitted for judging both for tone and for craftsmanship by a panel of distinguished violin makers and players. A distinctive characteristic of this competition was that the element of subjectivity was recognised and even encouraged; each judge awarded his own prize, and all types of violin, baroque and modern, with an antiqued or brand-new appearance, were treated equally.

Alongside the festival, the making marathons took place. Two separate teams of makers undertook to make a violin and a bow, each within a twenty-four hour period, in a workshop open to public view. These were finished and played at the final concert, and were sold by raffle to help fund the event.

Publications

The BVMA’s first major publication The British Violin, appeared in 2000. It grew from the 1998 exhibition, and is now acknowledged as the definitive work on the subject. Subsequent publications include books on the Voller Brothers and on violin making in Scotland.