The BVMA Retouching course with Iris Carr and Nathan Benning

Date: Sunday 14th March 2027 - Friday 19th March 2027

Location: Westhope College, Craven Arms, Shropshire, SY7 9JL

I

ris Carr is a violin restorer specialising in major restorations of violins, violas and cellos.

Her Retouching Course covers all aspects of restoration, from completed woodwork to finishing the varnish, including the treatment and staining of wood, filling cracks and joints, creating texture, retouching and patina.

Participants will bring their own projects with them and Iris will be demonstrating her methods on their instruments.  This year she will be ably assisted by Nathan Benning from Benning Violins.

Here’s all the information you need to know:

Arrival from 5.00pm - Sunday 14th March 2027

(Note: teaching starts on Monday 15th March)

End BY 4.00pm - Friday 19th March 2027

Maximum 7 participants

Cost:

£1250 for single ensuite

£1200 for single non ensuite

There are no bursaries available for this course. 

There are a very limited number of rooms so your first choice may not be possible. The accommodation will be spread between the college and a farmhouse 5 minutes walk from the college.

All meals are included in the cost, some of the evening meals will be in pubs within 20 minutes drive from Westhope.  Transport can be provided to all pub meals.  You will be able to give any food preferences/dietary requirements nearer the time if you are successful. 

What to bring: 

Your own restoration projects, however big - but all the woodwork must be completed.  Bring as many instruments to work on as you can but be aware the working space is limited.   A list of items will be e-mailed to the successful participants nearer the time but bring all your own tools.

All benches, chairs and lights are provided but if you have a favourite chair please feel free to bring it.  

How to book

Keep an eye on your BVMA e-mails for more information about booking your place.

We would like participants to express their interest in this course then places will be allocated when all expressions of interest have been received.

A deposit of £100 is payable within a couple of weeks of your place being confirmed.  

The balance is payable by 31/12/26.

Iris Carr

Iris Carr graduated from the Newark School of Violinmaking with distinction in 1996 and was offered a job at Charles Beare’s shop in London where she trained as a Violin Restorer alongside very experienced and skilled craftsmen, working on fine violins, violas and cellos.

After 8 years of working at J & A Beare, Iris set up her own business in Suffolk in the UK in 2004, concentrating on major restoration projects which have included instruments by Antonio Stradivari, the Guarneri and Amati family and many more.

Since 2014, Iris has been teaching weekly courses on her specialised subject of retouching in many countries in Europe, the USA, Japan and Canada.

Prompted by Covid in 2020, Iris started creating online courses in restoration work, including a violin neckgraft and crack repair course. She also recorded 3 Zoom lectures for Violin making students which were organised by the Rowan-Armour-Brown Trust and are available online.

In recent years, Iris has become more involved again in instrument making, with a particular interest in the antiquing process in collaboration with her husband Tony.

Nathan Benning

Nathan Benning is a fourth-generation luthier specializing in violin repair and restoration. He crafted his first violin at age 13 and grew up immersed in the family workshop of Benning Violins in Los Angeles. 

His family’s tradition of craftsmanship traces back to his great-grandfather’s studies with William Lewis & Son and Rembert Wurlitzer in Chicago, followed by his grandparents Hans and Nancy Benning’s training at the Violin Making School in Mittenwald, Germany, and with Carl Becker Sr. His father, Eric Benning, is a renowned violin maker whose instruments are played by top musicians around the world. 

Nathan has worked full-time in the workshop since graduating high school and has continued to refine his restoration skills through the Oberlin Restoration Workshop since 2018 and the American Lutherie Institute restoration classes in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.