Scholarships

Hello! My name is Mary Sabo. I was born and raised in Canton, Ohio and have played violin since I was 7. About four years ago I was given the opportunity to work at a local violin shop as their office manager. I quickly learned that role and grew into learning about bows and restoration. I took the basic rehair class at Learning trade secrets and I was hooked from there! I then moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma and accepted a position with Tulsa Strings and they really helped me strengthen my abilities, both in bows and in violin repair. I want to sincerely thank the VSA for the scholarship, as it allowed me to further my skills and education.

Mason Hickman comes from a family of violinists and musicians. A native of Texas, Mason studied violin with Philip Lewis at the University of North Texas and worked in education while engaged with the Austin Civic Orchestra and Central Texas Medical Orchestra as associate concertmaster, and the Austin Chamber Music Center. He enrolled at the Chicago School of Violin Making in 2022 to study with Antoine Nedelec and Jeff Philips and will complete the program in August 2025. Coupled with school, Mason’s work at Bein & Fushi has provided invaluable insight into fine instruments and their histories. In his free time, Mason enjoys adventurous travel, playing chamber music with friends, and discovering the vibrant city of Chicago.

After graduating from the Chicago School of Violin Making, Fiacha Heneghan began working at William Harris Lee where he focuses on new making. He also makes instruments independently. In a past life, he earned his PhD and taught philosophy at Vanderbilt University.

Initially training as a violinist, Stacy Westman became interested in violin making and repairs while visiting a violin shop in her hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the age of 15, she joined the workshop of Schultz Strings and continued working there throughout high school. After graduating, Stacy continued working full time at Schultz Strings for a year before deciding to expand her skills by attending the Chicago School of Violin Making.

Stacy Westman graduated from the Chicago School of Violin Making in August 2025. In addition to her studies, she worked part time for Seman Violins. During her school breaks Stacy also worked for Triangle Strings.

Stacy is currently working for McLaughlin Violins in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois. In her time outside of the shop she continues to make violins, both individually and in collaboration with her partner, Brian Lee. Stacy was also grateful for the opportunity to attend the Oberlin Violin Makers Workshop for the first time in 2025.

Born and raised in St. Wenceslas, Québec, Andrée Simard is a graduate of McGill University where she earned a B.Mus. in viola performance. After pursuing a career in music for a number of years, she completed her certification as a luthier at the Chicago School of Violin Making (under the tutelage of Antoine Nédélec) in 2021. Upon her return to Canada, Andrée worked at La Maison du Violon and Wilder & Davis Inc. in Montréal before joining the workshop at Guy Harrison Maker of Fine Violins, Violas & Cellos (Ottawa) in 2024. I sincerely thank the VSA for this generous scholarship which made it possible to attend Oberlin Makers Workshop this summer.

Amelia Goff is graduating in May 2023 from the Violin Repair program at Minnesota State College Southeast. Amelia comes from a family with a passion for string instruments and was given a violin to play at age eight. She found herself more interested in the intricacies and patterns of how the violin makes music more than playing, and became interested in woodworking and working with her hands. Amelia’s senior project in high school was to build a ukulele from scratch. This inspired her to seek out paths to lutherie that led her to the program in Red Wing. Her passion is in creating something beautiful that then is used to make something beautiful.

Grace Miller is a May 2023 graduate of the Violin Repair program at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing, Minnesota. Grace holds a B.A. in Music and German from Lehigh University and completed the Band Instrument Repair Program at MSCS prior to enrolling in the violin coursework. She has played violin intermittently throughout her life, but primarily plays trumpet and French horn. Grace chose to pursue instrument repair because it is a wonderful way to make music hands-on without being a full-time performer. This summer, Grace will return to her home state of Pennsylvania to work as a band instrument repair technician and luthier.

Regina Schimke grew up in Redgranite, Wisconsin and has been involved with music most of her life. She plays several instruments and has performed at the local and state solo and ensemble festivals since sixth grade. Her primary instruments are bassoon and violin. Coming from a small town with limited resources, her school could only offer concert band. She taught herself to play violin when she was 14 and played at local flea markets and festivals throughout high school. She knew she wanted a music-centered career and has always loved working with her hands, so becoming a luthier soon became her dream. The Violin Repair program at Minnesota State College Southeast was a perfect fit since it included the option to make a violin as well as learn repairs. With an eye for both the engineering and artistic sides of the craft, she plans on pursuing a career as a luthier upon graduating in May 2023.

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Logan Angus is currently in his 2nd year at The Canadian Violin Making Institute in Bragg Creek, Alberta. He discovered a love for opera and orchestral music at a young age when he was introduced to Mozart’s Magic Flute.

He attended an exhibit on Cremonese violins at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ in 2016 where he purchased his first book on Violin making. Logan spent the next four years building his first violin, which is how he was introduced to CVMI instructor Chris Sandvoss. After going to school for cabinetmaking and working in the field for a while he was encouraged to sign up for Chris’ five week long summer course where he discovered some talent for lutherie and decided to enroll in CVMI’s full three year program.

In his spare time Logan enjoys playing and making classical guitars. He is passionate about musical history, the history of the violin and instrument making, Baroque and Classical music, especially period correct orchestras and the instruments within.

Logan enjoyed attending and volunteering at his first VSA convention in Anaheim and would like to express his deep thanks for the support shown by awarding him this scholarship.

Born and raised in Quebec City, Quebec, Jacob Dupuis began his studies with the plans of eventually becoming a mechanical engineer. Having played bass in his high school jazz band for 5 years, and after completing a Diploma of College Studies in Natural Sciences, he also developed an interest in stringed instruments throughout history and how they function. Soon after starting his university career, Jacob found out about the existence of the École Nationale de Lutherie de Québec and decided to switch career paths to combine all his interests into one as a luthier: Design, history, physics, and hands-on construction of stringed instruments. Now finishing his third and final year in the violin making program, Jacob hopes to find a chance to deepen his knowledge of the instruments preceding the violin and the guitar, that have long disappeared from the public eye, and to make sure that the details of their construction live on.

My name is Mathilde Boulay, I'm 24 years old. Since my childhood, I have been passionate about manual work and music because I grew up in an artistic family. It was when I discovered the cello at the age of 7 that I immediately wanted to play it and make it.

So I took two courses in cabinetmaking. This allowed me to have a solid base of wood to then learn violin making. I am currently finishing my third year at Ecole Nationale de Lutherie in Québec City.

For me, making strings instruments make sense because it combines my passion for wood and music. I am very grateful to my family, friends, and professors who encourage me to pursue my ambitions.

Robert Simard is a trained electrician and has worked for nearly 3 ½ decades in postal mechanics. His lifelong passion for both musical instruments and woodworking led him to begin his studies in violin making and restoration. In developing his craft, he is particularly interested focusing on creating instruments from wood harvested in Québec and the rest of Canada.

Coming from a family of musicians, Savannah Dion-Brochu began playing cello at the age of four. Always inspired by the visual arts, they planned to follow this line of study at CEGEP in Montréal, but were soon enticed by the craft of luthiery and moved to Québec. Savannah studies at the National School of Lutherie and enjoys their opportunity to apprentice at Wilder & Davis Luthier, Inc. to deepen their skills in this profession.

Jimena Olvera Alcocer, originally from Santiago de Querétaro, México, is a current fourth semester student on violin making. She started attending to violin lessons from a Young age and attended to her city’s music conservatory “J. Guadalupe Velázquez”. There, she met a great variety of instruments, such as the viola, cello or doublebass, which made her interested in each instrument’s features and sound.

Later on, she attended to “Santiago de Querétaro” orchestra as well, where she was finally introduced to luthierie by mexican violin maker Luis Alcalde. After graduating high school, she started going to his workshop, where she started to deeply know about the major’s work and slightly started working with some wood and tools also. There, she discovered the variety of characteristics that compound a stringed musical instrument and fell for luthierie.

In 2021, she applied for entering to the National Institute of Fine Arts Escuela de Laudería, located also in Querétaro, México, where she is currently studying. At the moment, she has already built her first violin with the teacher and luthier Daniela Villanueva and starting to build two further violins.

Originally from Mexico City, Patricia Acosta grew up being a child always surrounded by music and art. At the age of 12 she began playing the violin and at the age of 17 switched to the viola, suitable situation to decide to took the music as his profesional career, and till the date continue being active in multiple concerts and presentations of various ranges.

She has always been a curious artist and in the discovery of multiple activities, led her to be immersed in lutherie, a profession that now enjoys with her soul.

Currently she’s in his 4th year in the lutherie school, has already worked in workshops, making repair and setting up of classic instruments with the support and under supervision of several master luthiers, to whom she is very grateful for instructing her even as an apprentice. Nowadays she’s building violin/viola in the school and learning bow making, outside of it.

My name is Patricia Guevara Celestino, originally from Queretaro, Mexico. I am a third year student at the Escuela de Laudería, México. At the age of 14, I decided to learn how to play the violin and I was taken to a workshop in the city. Since that encounter I wanted to explore the craft so I applied to the lutherie school, where I am currently studying. I am looking forward to continue learning more about violin making. I am grateful for the support from VSA; it means a lot to us and it help us to continue this journey.

Yesenia Reséndiz, originally from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua where she began playing the violin at the age of 14, and was part of several orchestras in the area. She completed her bachelor's degree in music at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez with a focus on violin performance as her primary instrument and harp as her secondary instrument. She has been teaching since 2013. Currently, she is in her 4th year at the Escuela de Laudería INBA where she has taken construction classes with the following teachers: Marvin Salgado, Alejandro Diaz, Jose Antonio Tavira, and her current teacher is Jose Antonio Ontiveros.

Her restoration, repair, and varnishing teacher is Tania Zepeda. She has worked at the 'Tavira Lutherie' workshop as an apprentice of Jose Antonio Tavira, mainly learning about construction, repair, and restoration of violins, as well as some traditional Mexican instruments.

Nikray Kowsar is a second year student of Chicago School of Violin Making and is currently making his 3rd and 4th school instruments under the guidance of Jeff Phillips. Originally from Shiraz, Iran, he studied Violin and Viola at Yerevan State Conservatory, Carnegie Mellon University and The Glenn Gould School of Music with Alexander Kosemyan, David Harding and Steven Dann.

As a violist, he has collaborated with the Armenian State Opera & Ballet Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Toronto Chamber Players, Ontario Philharmonic, Chatham Baroque, Northbrook Symphony and Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago.

Since 2020, he has been working at Hoffmann Strings in Lincolnshire, Illinois, where he helps with the maintenance of the rental fleet as well as with sound adjustments, photography and sales.

Nikray is grateful to VSA for the financial support as well as to John Newton, who generously helped him to build his first violin and viola, as well as to William Hoffmann, Jeff Phillips, Antoine Nedelec, Kristin Siegfried, Itzel Avila and William Whedbee who have guided and inspired him in this journey.

My name is Silas Levander. I’m a 19 year-old from Wisconsin. I grew up interested in instruments, their acoustics and the different techniques used to play them. At the age of 13 I shadowed a luthier in his shop for a research project and soon afterwards began taking cello lessons.

Any time I visited the shop to have a repair done on my cello, I was fascinated to see even a glimpse of the various procedures the luthier used. Soon, a conversation began about studying to become a luthier. The owners of the shop were graduates of the Chicago School of Violin-Making and encouraged me to enroll.

As time went on I became more sure of what I should do and in March of 2021 I visited the school. My mind was set towards learning the trade. In January of 2022 I began studying under the amazing staff at CSVM. I am loving every moment of it and it’s exciting to see each step of the process come together into one playable piece of art.

Tim Wright was born and raised in Illinois. “I have always seen my life as an adventure and have taken on as many challenges and interests as I could. This has included juggling in a circus, hiking 1400 miles of the Appalachian trail, singing in a sea shanty group, and now learning to build violins. I learned how to wood carve by teaching the wood carving merit badge at Boy Scout camp, and I loved the skill so much I kept it up as a hobby and small business. Those skills gave me the confidence to join the Chicago School of Violin Making. The support from the VSA has been a huge relief and an enormous help in allowing me to commit fully to this next adventure in my life.”

Daquan Yao

Mason Hickman

Stacy Westman

Cody John Nixon

Joshua Wang

James Gilbert

Eric Rodriguez

Edler Augustin

Antoaneta Anguelova

Scott Raber

Thomas Bush

Les Lynn

Gabriel Figuracion

Matthew Eismann

Benjamin Luc Adolph

Inti Recio Piccini

Juan Carlos Herrera Mendoza

Ian Stebbins

Charlie Hendrickson

Abbie Fields

Logan Rolag

Brian Lee

Alex Schmer

Grette Yang

Originally from Minnetonka, Minnesota, Grette has been passionate about music for as long as she can remember and has played the viola since she was nine years old. Although having a love for crafting all her life, it wasn't until high school, where she began building sets for her school's theater, that she found a joy in woodworking. Combining all these things she enjoys is what brought Grette to Red Wing, Minnesota, to study the fine craft of violin repair and making. She is thrilled to be able to take with her all the skills she's acquired and will be making and working on instruments in her spare time while she continues her post-secondary education.

Zosh Tanner

Zosh is a recent graduate of the Violin Repair Program at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing, Minnesota. Her passion for violin and lutherie started quite recently. She had played various musical instruments throughout her life but found the violin four years ago. Since then, she has learned to play old time style music and Irish fiddle tunes. She graduated from Violin Repair with high honors and built a violin in the program in 2022.

“My interest in art and woodworking has been a part of my life for a lot longer. I’ve been painting and doing mixed media art for as long as I can remember. My grandpa started teaching me carpentry and woodworking a few years ago and since then I’ve been searching for more opportunities to dive into the art form. When I discovered the lutherie program in Red Wing, I knew that I needed violin making to be a part of my life and I am now proud to be presenting my newly made violin to friends and family.”

Jacob Swider

Born to Polish immigrants, Jacob grew up in the suburbs of Chicago with a fascination for music at an early age. He began playing trombone at 11 and played in the band program during middle school. He was introduced to the bass guitar at 13 and then acoustic guitar at 15 and started writing his own music. He switched to double bass during high school and then went on to earn a bachelor's degree in music business at Elmhurst University. After working as an instrument retailer at a repair shop, he decided to pursue string repair at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing, Minnesota, where he completed the one-year diploma and built his first violin.

Charles W. L. Troester

Charles was born in Southern Illinois and grew up in Illinois and Wisconsin. For the last 10 years, he has made his home in the Twin Cities. He has been a violin player all his life and has had the fortune of having truly great teachers in their own styles. An injury prevented him from pursuing a career as a professional musician, though he has continued to play as an amateur.

"Having worked in finance, kitchens, security, sales, delivery, and small business management without a sense of fulfillment, being able to return to violin with a renewed sense of relevance to the skill is like coming home. I have a passion for it. I would like to pass that passion on to other players in their instruments, whether students or professionals, because every player deserves the best instrument they can have."

Jeremy Buth

Originally from Lakewood, Colo., Jeremy is a student in his fourth year at the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City. His grandmother, Nadene Bean, got his start on instruments early, teaching him how to play a 1/8-size cello at the age of two. When she passed away when he was five, he started learning from Carol Tarr, who he credits with truly starting his passion for playing. He played in the Jefferson County All County Orchestra for elementary school, middle school, and high school; as well as taking part in "Cello Fest" for most of those years. He has also played for The Evergreen Chamber Orchestra, Front Range Youth Symphony, and Jefferson Symphony.

Jeremy found a passion for woodworking from Boy Scouts and from his middle school tech-ed class. After graduating from Wheat Ridge High School in 2017, he enrolled in VMSA where he is currently making a cello and has completed four instruments "in the white," including varnish on most of those instruments. He is excited to finish up his luthier studies and begin a career in earnest.

Wyatt Galarneau

Born in Raleigh, N.C., Wyatt is in his second year at the Violin Making School of America. He began restoring and making violins at age 16 after an apprenticeship with his local luthier at Piedmont Violins in Fuquay-Varina, N.C. He worked in general dentistry and orthodontics through high school and college with a focus on 3D printing, milling machines, and laser scanning. After attending the violin making course at University of New Hampshire, he transferred to the Violin Making School of America to continue to pursue his passion for lutherie.

Tanner Noel

Tanner is a second-year student at the Violin Making School of America. He developed a love for the viola at a young age and was inspired by his luthier viola teacher to pursue the career. He really enjoys getting to see renowned instruments in person and hearing them played by those who know them best. Tanner is very grateful to receive support from the VSA and looks forward to his future with the organization.

Arantza Sánchez Lira

Originally from Querétaro, Mexico, Arantza became passionate about music as a child and dreamed of playing the violin. One day, after attending a concert at the Escuela de Laudería, she discovered the world of violin making. In high school, she took a woodcarving class and after graduation, she entered the Escuela de Laudería. She is currently in her fourth year of the Escuela de Laudería's violin making program and began learning bow making and repair from Humberto Nicasio, a Mexican bow maker, during the pandemic.

Karol Maday Luna Diaz

"I was born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. I began my musical studies at the age of 12 going to violin classes at the Oaxaca House of Culture, later I was part of the "Esperanza Azteca" children's choir and I studied high school at the Artistic Education Center "Miguel Cabrera," where I took classes of plastic arts, dance, theater, literature, and my specialization was in music, where while exploring its different branches, I eventually discovered what violin making is.

In 2017, I moved to the city of Querétaro to study at the Escuela de Laudería of the National Institute of Fine Arts, where I built my first two violins with the teacher Daniela Villanueva, later I built one more violin with the teacher José Antonio Ontiveros. Due to the pandemic in 2020, our classes began to be online and in that period I made two scrolls for violin, one for viola, and I started building a violin at home. I am currently finishing my violin and building a cello at school, also with teacher José Antonio.

In addition, I am doing my social service with Tania Zepeda, the teacher of the restoration and varnish classes. I am very grateful to the VSA for including Mexico in these scholarships, it is a good contribution to continue buying tools and to be able to equip my own workshop.”

Isai Zurita

"I am a student from the lutherie school in my city, Querétaro (Mexico). I began my instruments taste through music when I decided to study cello in the conservatory. Music has always fascinated me since I was a child, all kinds of music including classical.

I learned to play the cello at the same time that I discovered the world of lutherie, going to workshops and meeting luthiers who showed me their work. Soon I fell in love with the trade and had to make a decision, I left my music studies at the conservatory to start building string instruments.

At the moment, I study the degree while I work in a workshop of a graduate. I hope to become a great luthier and make all kinds of stringed instruments."

Nubia Celeste Mendoza Macias

"I am originally from Querétaro, Mexico. At the age of Eleven, I began my musical education by learning violin. When maintenance was required for my instrument, I met the maestro, Alejandro Diaz. He aided me with his knowledge throughout his workshop, where I fell in love with the Luthier career.

At age twelve, I made the decision to learn how to craft stringed instruments, with focus on the violin. While in high school, I was part of the orchestra and took a wood carving course. Upon graduation, I applied for the violin crafting career where I'm currently studying in my third year.

The Escuela de Laudería has provided me with the knowledge and abilities to apply as an assistant to a classic violin and traditional Mexican instruments workshop directed by luthier José Antonio Tavira.”

Victoria McDonald

Victoria is originally from central Pennsylvania and began playing the violin at six years old. After graduating from Susquehanna University in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in Music and a Chemistry minor, she moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and gained some industry knowledge while working as an office assistant at Terry Carlin Violins. She also participated in a bow repair workshop with Lynn Hannings at the UNH Violin Craftsmanship Institute in the summer of 2018.

While she came to CSVM with no prior violin-making experience, she is immensely grateful for the guidance and encouragement she has received from members of the community and has fallen in love with the trade. After graduating from the Chicago school, she hopes to continue her slow migration westward with her cat and partner to hone her craft in a shop setting.

Katie Dodd

"I'm originally from Ohio and moved to Chicago after high school in order to go to the Chicago School of Violin Making. I am currently finishing up my second year at school while working at Seman Violins.

My first encounter with violin making was at Oberlin College where I took cello lessons and became aware of the summer restoration program. I've been interested in the art of violin making ever since and strive to bring my career back home to Oberlin when I have gained the skills and knowledge to do an effective job in the field. It could be 10 years or 40 from now when that happens, but I'm happy learning from my educators, peers, and colleagues in the meantime.”

Brian Lee

Originally from New York City, Brian Lee began his studies at the Chicago School of Violin Making in January 2020 and is currently a second-year student working on his third instrument. He is a trained violinist, with a bachelor's degree in violin performance from the Eastman School of Music, where his primary teacher was Mikhail Kopelman, and a master's degree in violin performance from Montclair State University, where his teachers were Weigang Li and Lilit Gampel. While at Eastman, he also studied orchestral repertoire with Juliana Athayde. His other major teachers have included Kurt Nikkanen, Jonathan Strasser, and Jean Dane.

Growing up in New York City, he was fortunate to meet and frequently visit many world-renowned violin makers and bow makers, restorers, and experts. He also had the privilege to examine and play numerous examples of instruments and bows by important classical makers, as well as leading contemporary makers. These lofty standards of excellence and ethics would influence his decision to pursue violin making.

In addition to the Cremonese masters, he is interested in the instruments and working methods of Venetian and Mantuan makers.

Cecil Brown

"I am a student of the Red Wing violin repair program. Going through school I learned to appreciate all instruments and their roles through attendance of band, guitar, and orchestra. Though nothing fascinated me more than learning how the instruments worked and produced the music so easily heard walking around campus.

After multiple days of losing around three hours of homework time to instrument research, I began to think about fixing instruments as a future career. The immediate year after high school graduation begged to differ. With limited finances and large bills, I settled for several factory jobs.

Fast forward a shorter way than it felt, friends from out of state picked me up from the depths of labor and set me up with an opportunity to attend Red Wing. I leapt at the chance immediately and began pinching pennies. Now I soon will be completing the violin repair class and moving on to polish my skills in the real world.

Mitchell Dart

Originally from Hillsborough, N.C., discovered his passion for the violin when he began playing the instrument in fourth grade. From that point his enthusiasm towards any other subject was unmatched until he enrolled in his high school's woodshop where he found a new joy in woodworking. Mitchell's teacher inspired him to merge his passions and tackle violin making head on.

By the end of that school year, he had completed his first violin and been accepted into The Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City, where he is currently studying. He has completed his first three instruments at the school. He is excited to learn more about violin making and looks forward to getting to know the people in the community.

Zoe McCadams

Zoe is currently a student at the Violin Making School in Salt Lake City. In 2017, while attending Middle Tennessee State University, she began regular employment at Williams' Fine Violins in Nashville, Tenn. There, she discovered her passion for lutherie from watching Dustin Williams, shop owner and VMSA alum, repair instruments. Shortly after, while still attending university, McCadams began apprenticing weekly.

Still eager to learn more, McCadams attended the 2018 New Hampshire Violin Craftsmanship Institute and the 2019 ISB convention where she was able to work on her first bass at the conference's Build-A-Bass program.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Music Business in 2019, McCadams moved to Salt Lake City and began attending the VMSA. In her spare time she enjoys hiking in Utah's incredible landscape, rockhounding, baking and playing with her cat, Sputnik.

Cedric Gunn

"I grew up in a small Wyoming town with my parents who instilled in me a deep love of classical music. I was in orchestra class in Junior and Senior high schools but never had private lessons and played on cheap violin which never did sound good. At the time I had no idea what a difference a quality instrument could make.

After high school I stopped playing and went on to college with degrees in Molecular Biology and Medical Technology. I spent the past 18 years working with stem cell transplant patients. On snowy day here in Salt Lake I stumbled across the Violin Making School of America and the Peter Prier Shop.

Inside Prier, the first chair of the SLC symphony was trying out some old instruments and my love for the violin was rekindled and the possibility of becoming a luthier ignited. Having no prior wood working experience, I signed up with VMSA to begin forging what will be a second career for me. Currently I find myself about midpoint in my Luthier training program here at the school and look forward to one day providing quality Luthier services for a community without."

Eliot Smith

Eliot grew up in the mountains of North Carolina in a musical family. He started playing Suzuki violin at two years old and later spent five years as a touring musician. He realized that as much as he enjoyed the music, what really inspired him was the instruments. He began building violins with Joe Thrift who encouraged Eliot to attend North Bennet Street School and study with Roman Barnas. Now in his second year, Eliot is grateful for the financial support from the VSA.

Ada Schenck

Ada is a young maker and artist from rural Vermont. She grew up in her father's cabinet shop, played fiddle for 10 years, and was a professional hand weaver in her teens, so violin making is a natural fit. She was homeschooled her whole life, and entered the Violin Making and Repair program under Roman Barnas at the North Bennet Street School at age 18.

Ada is now in her second year of study, currently building three violins and a viola, and has been diving deep into varnish making in the past semester. She is grateful for the financial support from the VSA and looks forward to being in the industry for years to come.

Jarad Suchoski

"I've always had a deep love and appreciation for stringed instruments; in both their beautiful sound and aesthetic and have known that I wanted to be a maker since I was 18 living around the corner from VMSA. Years later I am finally making that dream a reality. I look forward to providing quality and beautiful instruments to everyone for the rest of my life."

Andrew Stolfa

Andre was raised in North Texas and completed a bachelor's degree at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, where he discovered his passion for stringed instruments by playing bass in the orchestra. Feeling the need for formal training in instrument making, Andrew moved to Salt Lake City and enrolled in Violin Making School in 2019.

As Andrew's second year of violin making school begins, he is looking forward to the completion of his first two violins in the white, as well as the setup of his freshly varnished bass. Andrew is honored to receive the support provided by the Violin Society of America.

Aaron Goll

Aaron was born in Ashland, Ohio, before moving to Gainesville, Fla. In Florida he was able to study violin repair and restoration at Gainesville Violins, then owned by Jan van Rooyen. In 2016 Jan retired as shop owner and Aaron made the decision to move to Ann Arbor, Mich. There he worked for Shar Music for one year. Deciding to channel his focus into making, Aaron moved to Salt Lake City where he currently studies at the Violin Making School of America while working at Peter Prier and Sons Violins.

Matthew Estlack

A Double Bassist born and raised in the heart of Texas, Matthew always had a fascination with woodworking and musical instruments. After graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in Performance on the Double Bass, he taught privately as well as performed with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra.

Luthiery was the perfect way to bring both passions together, and the VMSA was the perfect place to do it. Moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, was an arduous but necessary step, so that he may one day become a well-regarded maker in the Double Bass community. In the future he hopes to build and repair fine Double Basses all across the world, and also strives to bring the Double Bass to the forefront of the luthiery world.

Benjamin Ward

Benjamin, 21, is a student at the Violin Making School of America, in his final year of instruction. Having started playing the violin from a young age, Benjamin took a strong interest in the forms and the construction of the violin. This passion, along with the support of some local bow restorers led Benjamin to enroll at the VMSA. Benjamin hopes to further his education and experience after school, and is very thankful to receive support from the VSA to support this.

Steve Eddy

"I am a native of California. Violin dealing and playing have almost always been a part of my life. I began playing in grammar school and I sold my first violin in middle school. Upon my graduation with a degree in business administration from Pepperdine University in Malibu, I spent many years in the corporate world of insurance.

The corporate world was never my passion but it paid the bills. Eventually, I followed my true passion and became a full-time violin dealer. In 2015, I became ill and was placed on the heart transplant list. During that time, I had time to reflect and to think about what I'd do if I lived.

Overwhelmingly, violin making was the answer. It was a natural progression to become a violin maker. In 2017, I received my new heart and now I am following my passion full time."

Quinn Hallenbeck

Quinn grew up in rural California and moved to Seattle, Wash., after earning a bachelor of fine arts degree in Dance Performance and Choreography at UC Irvine. Quinn started playing the violin in 2019 and quickly became fascinated with lutherie.

The violin presents a paradox: historical, scientific, aesthetic, and sociological. An object that appears pleasingly simple to the eye yet taking years of dedicated attention to render, existing in a confluence of heritage mythologies and precision research.

The foundational education at the Red Wing Program has only piqued her interest and she plans to spend the next lifetime refining her skills in repair and restoration working with historic instruments and bows as well as collaborating with new makers. Quinn heartily looks forward to pouring through the literature, data, and observations in the VSA archives and beyond, working to serve the violin and the people who love it.

Angela Thompson

Raised in Bowling Green, Ohio, Angela began playing the violin at the age of eight and knew it would be a lifelong passion. She discovered interest in violin making after watching a documentary on the craft during a class in the eighth grade.

After high school, she decided to study classical music performance at Bowling Green State University, but transferred to Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., to pursue a performance degree in other musical styles. In the years following her graduation in 2016, she still desired to learn more about the instrument, leading her to attend the violin repair program at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing, Minn.

During her study, she has greatly enjoyed and excelled in learning the craft and is currently restoring two violins from her personal collection. She hopes to work closely with a violin maker after graduation to learn more about the making process.

Luke Eliot McDonnell

"I have absolutely loved anything detailed and hands-on from the time I was born. From a very young age I have been fixing cars, computers, and doing cabinetry. I was so young when I first started taking things apart and fixing them that I don't even remember when I started.

My first introduction to very fine woodwork was at the age of 15, when I apprenticed under Rick Thacker, a luthier, at a quickly growing small business called Plum Grove Music. Rick is a graduate of CSVM and started a music business shortly after his studies there. I began in his shop with lighter repairs and processing rentals (a lot of rentals).

I very quickly excelled at any complex repairs and restorations I was given. I loved the challenge so much that I started getting as much information on methodology of repair, and testing the finest restoration techniques I could find. I also received guidance from several friends who are shop owners and luthiers. I was instantly obsessed.

Within a few years I was the only technician executing advanced repairs within the company and I started managing and instructing the shop employees and apprentices. I stepped out of the management position two years later when starting my studies at The Chicago School of Violin Making in 2017, under Fred Thompson and Becky Elliot. I still work full-time for Plum Grove Music doing all of the advanced restorations from my personal workspace in Chicago. I'm finishing my CSVM degree under the new CSVM director Antoine Nedelec. After this I will avidly pursue a career in full-time luthiery."

Kaelyn Finwall

Kaelyn was raised in Ashland, Ore., where she found her love of the arts, especially the violin. She began her experience in instrument repair apprenticing at Ashland's Bellwood Violins. She was inspired to continue learning about the trade and instrument creation and was eager to begin her studies at the Chicago school of violin making. Now having been a student for just over a year she has completed two violins in the white and her third instrument, a viola, is underway. Upon graduation she plans to return to her hometown and continue working with local makers and repair shops.

Trevor Austin

"I live in Sugar Grove, Ill. I am the seventh child of eight. My mother and father studied violin making. My father and sister Holly graduated from the Chicago School of Violin making, where I am currently attending. My mother and father opened up a shop here in Sugar Grove which has been open 39 years now. I plan on finishing school and returning to the shop and helping run the business."

Claire Rowan

Claire, 24, previously lived in Colorado before moving to Chicago to pursue violin making. She started with a background in fine arts with oil paintings and figure drawings. Claire found violin making as a career through an animated film, "Whisper of the Heart," where the protagonist was a luthier.

Inspired and without any previous background in the violin, she took a leap of faith two and a half years ago to attend the Chicago School of Violin Making. Studying to be a luthier has become a passion and one of the most rewarding steps in her life. Claire is on track to graduate this upcoming December and looking at extending her career to outside the States.

Veronica Vaillancourt

Veronica grew up in a musical family on Long Island, N.Y. After studying history and music in college, she worked as a receptionist at Reed Yeboah Fine Violins in New York City, where she learned invaluable lessons about classical and contemporary instruments, as well as the day-to-day operations of a top-flight violin shop. She then made her way to Boston to study violin making at the North Bennet Street School under Roman Barnas, where she is currently in her second year.

Pete Morris

Pete was raised in Savannah, Ga., and has bachelor's degrees in Nursing and Turfgrass Management. He has a love of playing music which grew into a need to know how the instruments were built. Pete is in his second year of study at the VMSA and has completed two violins in the white and is working on a third. He also has built a violin at home in the evenings after school that is completed and being played. Before starting school, he has also attended a bow making workshop with Lynn Hannings where he made two violin bows.

Haddon Brown

Haddon was born in the North Country of New York state and moved to Wisconsin when he was eight years old. As part of a large musical family, Haddon was actively involved in choirs, musical theater, dance, art, and instrumental music. Following his passion to work with his hands, Haddon started attending The Chicago School of Violin Making in Fall 2017. Thus far, he has completed two violins and a viola in the white and has plans to make a cello in the summer.

Paige Henson

Raised in Norwalk, Conn., Paige received a bachelor of arts degree in Anthropology and Music Theory from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. Even though she had no woodworking experience prior to starting at the VMSA, Paige chose to attend because of her passion for music and her love of working with her hands. She is currently a second-year student at the VMSA, where she has completed three violins in the white and will be learning repairs over the summer.

Shelby Martignacco

Shelby grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho, where she fostered her love of stringed instruments, playing viola for over 14 years. She began her violin making training in Chicago at the Chicago School of Violin Making in 2015 and transferred to the Violin Making School of America in 2016. Having attended both schools has given her diverse insights in the field and techniques used in violin building and varnish.

Mike Dunham

Prior to attending the Violin Making School of America, Mike worked as a chemical engineer and materials scientist for more than 30 years. He is wrapping up the plates for a cello and preparing to varnish the several violins and a viola already completed in the VMSA program.

After many years working with modern high-tech materials, Mike is especially excited to be learning about the resin polymers, natural colorants, and very old processes used to make and apply violin varnishes. Upon graduation Mike plans to return to his home in Flagstaff, Ariz., to make violins and help care for the instruments in his community's string music education programs. The VSA scholarship helped Mike attend the Summer repair course offered by VMSA.

Bob Spetz

Bob and his wife lived in Bozeman, Mont., before moving to Salt Lake City so Bob could attend the VMSA. Bob worked in the field of lasers and optics for 20 years before deciding to pursue his passion for music and express his creativity in woodworking by becoming a violin maker. Bob is currently in the varnish and setup portion of the program at VMSA, is working on the scroll of his final school program violin, and is also making several instruments at home. The VSA scholarship will help Bob afford the Summer repair course at the VMSA.

Benjamin Ward

Benjamin received no formal woodworking training before school, but since his admission into the VMSA in fall of 2016 he has finished three violins "in the white." Being a longtime violin player, and having curiosity for the detailed workings of the violin led Benjamin to the school. He has thoroughly enjoyed learning violin making, and will be learning to perform more extensive repair work over the summer.

Eric Hwang

Eric is originally from the New York Hudson Valley and currently in his final year at the Chicago School of Violin Making studying under Rebecca Elliott and Frederic Thompson. He started playing violin at the age of nine and was introduced to the string trade by a close friend who is a collector of fine instruments. Since September 2015 Eric has been responsible for the setup and maintenance of a storage room of instruments at the Betty Haag School of Music in Buffalo Grove, Ill.

He spent the summer of 2016 working at the shop of Lou Torick, and has also studied repairs and bow maintenance with luthiers John Bowen, Ken Stein, Eric Swanson, and Yumi Fujimoto. Eric is making a career change into violin making after nearly 20 ingratiating years in the corporate world. He holds degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of Chicago.

Dylan Kole

"I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Mich., and have been playing the viola/violin since fifth grade. I worked for the family business as a roofer after high school. After visiting the workshop of a family friend who was a violin maker, I decided to enroll at the Chicago School of Violin Making. I have completed three violins so far and I am expected to graduate in the summer of 2019."

Aaron Ryker

Aaron began attending the Chicago School of Violin Making in 2016. He is currently working on the construction of his second violin under the instruction of Rebecca Elliot and Fred Thompson. In addition to these he is helping to make a double bass as well as repair and set up a violin commissioned outside of school.

Steven Russell

Thomas Steven was born in St Albans, England, June 5, 1990. He moved to the Chicago area when he was about two and was raised in the western suburbs. He began attending the Chicago School of Violin Making in January of 2015. Since then he has completed all the requirements for graduation and also an additional violin at home through setup. In his second year of school, he began working at the bench for Peter Seman at Seman Violins, honing his setup knowledge and learning about repair and varnish touch-up. He is very thankful for the scholarship that the VSA has provided to help him reach his goals.

Angela Handshoe

Angela is a recent graduate of the Minnesota State College Southeast Violin Repair program. Before entering the program, she began her experience in instrument repair at the locally-owned dulcimer shop, Simple Sounds Inc., located in her hometown of Shipshewana, Ind. After her high school graduation in 2017, she began work at the larger music corporation, Quinlan & Fabish Music Company, which allowed for her to focus primarily on violin repair.

In the fall of 2017, Angela traveled from Indiana to Minnesota to attend the Violin Repair program in Red Wing, and graduated in the spring of 2018. Currently, Angela is shadowing VSA members Kevin Rouch and Mark Dill at Quinlan & Fabish Music Company, and plans to learn as much as she can from the both of them. Angela is waiting for the reestablishment of the violin making program at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing, Minnesota, and plans to take the course upon its reinstatement.

Brawley Campion

"I am a student and recent graduate of the Violin Repair program at Minnesota State College Southeast. In the summer of 2017 I applied to MNSCSE with the dream of becoming a luthier. I spent the school year loving the program and work under fantastic instruction.

I've learned so much about the violin family; history, construction, repair, and even playing techniques. So fortunate to have found the career path that resonates and fulfills me in life, I am extremely excited about my future in this field. I will be returning to MNSCSE for the 18-19 school year as a Guitar Repair and Building student, and likely the year following for further instruction.

The Violin Society of America has recognized the efforts of students in this field, and I want to thank them for awarding me with this scholarship."

Brooke Esplin

A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Brooke enrolled in her high school's welding and woodworking classes as a way to decompress from academics. She then spent a year at Brigham Young University jumping between majors in opera, engineering, and wildlife science, but couldn't find anything that quite matched the joy she found while working with her hands.

After completing a year-and-a-half-long full-time service mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in southern Spain, she moved to Boston to begin studying Violin Making & Repair at the North Bennet Street School. At school she gets to do what she loves every day, surrounded by a community of musicians and makers, and couldn't be happier.

She feels very honored to receive the support of the Violin Society of America in pursuing her craft.

Julie Baker

Julie is in her final year of musical instrument repair at Minnesota State College Southeast where she's learned to mend violin family instruments and guitars. Life events prompted her return to college after 16 years working in IT communications. She enjoys music, languages and traveling and has lived in four countries: teaching English and practicing t'ai chi ch'uan in China, absorbing bossa nova in Brazil, gorging on spaghetti in Italy, and engaging in the American communities she calls home.

Outside school, she volunteers with Red Wing's HOPE Coalition. Julie attended the VSA's 2016 Convention (then as Julie Moxley) and plans to pursue a career in string instrument repair after graduation.

Ruth Miyamoto

Ruth holds a bachelor of music degree in Cello Performance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she studied with cellist Astrid Schween. A few years after graduation, with no experience, she decided to apply to Minnesota State College Southeast to study Violin Repair.

Not knowing what to expect, Ruth quickly became engrossed in the world of violin lutherie, eager to learn all that her instructors had to offer. She attended the 2016 VSA convention and competition, where she was inspired to join the community of violin makers and restorers.

Ruth now works at Atelier String Instruments in Connecticut, where she will continue her learning under Constantin Popescu. Ruth is very grateful for the VSA for awarding her this scholarship to help support her success in her new career.

Andrew Hooper

Raised in Danville, Ky., Andrew graduated from Boyle County High School and formed a music industry-centered small business while attending Eastern Kentucky University. He is currently a second-year student at the Violin Making School of America working on a viola. Primarily an upright bass player, he has a passion for music and helping out the local music scene.

Joel Thompson

Joel received his bachelor of music degree in performance studying cello and viola da gamba. Before entering the Chicago School of Violin Making, he apprenticed for two years with Linda Shortridge making and repairing violas da gamba. He is currently in his third and final year at CSVM and is very grateful to all members of the VSA who contributed to the scholarship fund. It provided a tremendous leg up on the final lap as a student.

Mary Jane Kwan

Originally of Austin, Texas, is a third-year student at CSVM, where she currently is varnishing her cello. She learned setup and repair working at A440 Violin Shop. She is a participant of the Oberlin Acoustics Workshop. She draws comics for her violin making blog at fixitwithshading.com. Mary Jane is very thankful to the VSA for this scholarship and to everyone who has supported her in becoming a violin maker.

Ona Oliver

Ona currently works for the Merit School of Music where she is an independent contractor doing repairs on student instruments.

Tommy Coleman

Tommy is a lifelong woodworker and has been a professional woodworker most of his adult life. He has made several stringed instruments including acoustic guitars, octave mandolins, ukuleles and an electric guitar. He has briefly worked at Classic Violins in Mundelein, Ill.

Ilsa Reed

Before attending the Chicago School of Violin Making, Ilsa had no previous experience. She has played violin her entire life and is currently employed by Austin's Violin Shop in Sugar Grove, Ill., where she works the front desk and maintains rental instruments.

Tyler Lubke

Tyler started at Red Wing with no past experience in the field of violin making and restoring. He has yet to officially work at a shop outside of school but has helped out with miscellaneous tasks at Claire Given's shop in downtown Minneapolis.

Carleton K. Johnson

Carleton has focused on the construction and repairs of acoustic guitars. He is currently working on a viola da gamba and bow in addition to a school violin.

Catherine Autrey

Catherine has no experience in the field other than playing the violin, although she greatly enjoys the program she is currently enrolled in.

Seth Colon

Seth arrived at violin making when he was living in New York City. He was working on custom furniture and playing violin on the side, dreaming of getting into the violin making field but couldn't see it as a reality. One day while he was browsing at the library, he found a short book on violin making and it sparked his interest immediately. Soon after he learned an acquaintance of his was a violin maker in the lower east side of Manhattan. After visiting his shop and talking about the trade he decided that attending the North Bennet Street School was his best option.

"Violin making has been even more fulfilling than I imagined. I have finished three violins and am currently working on a viola. I look forward to bringing my passion into the field and learning from current masters. I've had the privilege of spending a week in Cremona, Italy connecting with makers there and being in the presence of the home of Stradivari, Del Gesu, and Amati.”

Evan Davenport

Evan has spent most of his life woodworking in some degree, mostly making instruments. He first started by nailing a couple of 2x4's together and attaching strings across, making "guitars" from as young as five years old. He began playing music at a very young age, starting with piano then later migrating to upright bass.

During high school he started apprenticing with Boyd Paulson. Upon completing high school he moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., to intern at Fodera Guitars and the following year he started the violin making program at North Bennet Street School. In the summers since beginning at NBSS, he has had internships with Arnold Schnitzer and Boyd Paulson and has taken varnish courses with Chris Pederson.

Evan also contributed to the International Society of Bassists' "Build a Bass in a Week" project in the summer of 2015.

Mike Murray

Mike grew up on a small farm in rural Idaho and enjoyed playing instruments, singing, and loving music. Later during his college years at BYU-Hawaii, he was introduced to the arts and really took to drawing, painting, and ceramics. It took years to figure out how to marry the disciplines. That's when he discovered instrument making.

After finishing a bachelor's of science degree in business, he moved to Utah to attend the Violin Making School of America. The incredible marriage of design, craftsmanship, music, history, and all the arts has captivated his mind, and will do so for years to come.

Spencer Stenquist

Spencer was born in Lompoc, Calif., in 1993, graduated high school in North Ogden, Utah, in 2012 and began studying at the Violin Making School of America in 2015. He is currently in his second year of school finishing up his third violin. He also does work for Scoggins and Scoggins Violin Shop in Salt Lake City.

Zachary Goad

While attending the magnet program of Wheeler High School, Zachary was required to fulfill an internship of his choice, as long as it applied to his field of study in his acoustics program. He secured a spot at Williams Gengakki Violins in Atlanta, Ga., where he worked closely with owner Reginald Williams, and his makers Cameron Robertson and Ryan McLaughlin. Both these makers taught Zachary an elementary overview of woodworking, tonewoods, tools used in violin making and life in a shop. Mr. Williams focused more on violin making history, matching instruments to bows, and how to deal with customers.

Levi Samuelson

Currently in his third year of school, Levi has completed two violins, one viola and is finishing building a cello. His first violin was displayed at the 2014 VSA convention in Indianapolis, Ind. He has also participated in the repair of a bass top, including: cracks, patches, a new bass bar and varnish touch-up. This was done after hours at the CSVM with Fredric S. Thompson. Levi is currently building a violin based on a Peter Guarneri of Mantua violin as a home project.

Caitlin Cook

Although Caitlin had no previous experience in violin making before attending school, since beginning school, she has built a violin at home through varnishing. Additionally, since attending the intensive setup and repair trimester, she has cut new bridges and sound posts for several violins and her cello at home. She was able to attend the AFVBM convention in May of 2014 as a student representative and at the VSA convention last September as a volunteer checking instruments and working with the quartet judges.

John Griffin

John has made two violins and a viola at school under the direction of Rebecca Elliott and Fred Thompson. He is in the process of making his third violin and has helped with the restoration of a double bass with several other students. In his repair class he cuts bridges and sound posts, has reshaped fingerboards, reset fingerboard pitch angles, reshaped and made new nuts, and has reshaped and stained necks. He has also done custom color varnish touch-up on the instruments that he has worked on.

Sara Deliberato

Sara was first given the opportunity to go behind the scenes at Terry Carlin's Violin Shop in Cleveland, Ohio, where she shadowed her for a couple of weeks in the summer of 2013. She was able to clean, polish and set up their rental instruments during this time.

The following fall she started at CSVM where after a semester she began working at Seman Violins as a receptionist. A few months later she was offered the chance to move to the bench where for the past nine months she has been working on their rental instruments. Working on these instruments, she was able to do tasks such as: gluing seams, wings and top cracks, fixing rib cracks, dressing fingerboards, making new pegs, touching up varnish, sound post adjustments, reshaping nuts and assisting with chinrest and shoulder rest consultations.

Andrew Seelhammer

Andrew has been attending the VMSA for about two years and has made four violins in the white. He's about to start making a cello and is very excited for the challenges it may bring. Experimenting with making tools has also been a part of his making experience. Having built a bending iron from scratch, custom clamps and some chisels for special steps, his current project is figuring out how to make finger planes.

Rachel Becker

Having enrolled at the VMSA in March of 2013, up to this point Rachel has completed three violins and a viola in the white, and is midway through a cello. She has recently collaborated on a commissioned viola for a local musician with another student and last summer participated in the VMSA repair class where she practiced crack repair and soundpost patches on two cellos. This, along with her experience of building a cello has cemented the idea in her mind that she would like to focus on cello making and repair in the future.

This summer, she will be traveling to Columbia with Sounds of Change, as a resident luthier, where she will be repairing and setting up student instruments and instructing teachers and musicians in basic instrument maintenance while her colleagues work with the kids to spread string music to underprivileged communities.

Robert

Robert worked full-time at Petr's Violin Shop in Anchorage, Alaska, before attending VMSA. It was there that Petr Bucinsky taught him repair techniques passed down by his father Ivan Bucinsky and Hans Weisshar, who Petr worked for after graduating from the VMSA. Robert has also done repairs for Thomas & Vessel Stringed Instruments in Modesto, Calif.

Prior to attending the VMSA, Marinos Glitsos served a two-year, part-time apprenticeship with lute builder Daniel Larson of Gamut Music, Inc.

Nickolaus Capps

Prior to attending classes at Minnesota State College Southeast Technical, Nickolaus worked as an instrument repair person at Mellr Music in Milwaukee, Wis., where he was required to do small repairs on violin family instruments and bows. This led to his desire to learn more about repairing them, so that eventually he could do high-quality repairs.

Sean Fowler

Sean began his career in lutherie in 2010 through self-study and seeking help from local luthiers. Between 2013 and 2014 he worked in the repair shop of Wilhite Strings in Knoxville, Tenn., under the supervision of Linda Blosser. Here he performed repairs and setup on both rental and customer instruments. He also worked for Lane Music during this time.

Julia Felix

Despite never having done any sort of repair or making before attending the North Bennet Street School, Julia has learned so much since she arrived in September 2012. She has built five instruments now, including a Da Salo model and a Del Gesu model, done basic setup work such as making fingerboards, replaning fingerboards, replaning necks, fitting soundposts, carving bridges, etc., alcohol and oil varnishing, and even some repair work such as fitting patches, removing bass bars, and closing cracks.

"I have many years of practice and hard work ahead of me, but I believe that I have a good footing to get started on. Receiving a scholarship from the VSA would allow me to make some much-needed final purchases to get started as a full-time violin maker, as well as help me with some tuition fees for school."

Jedidjah de Vries

Jedidjah came to North Bennet Street as a lifelong violinist with, admittedly, little direct making experience. This has pushed him to work even harder. In addition to coming into the bench room early and leaving late every day, he has gone out of his way to pursue as much information and experience as possible.

For example, by traveling to exhibits at Metropolitan Museum of Art and at Yale, by attending events such as the VSA conference in Indianapolis, the federation meeting last year in Chicago and Mondomusica, and by participating in enrichment opportunities such as the Hans Nebel workshop. Still, most of his experience has come from the daily work at the bench, under the tutelage of Roman Barnas.

In his two years at NBSS he has learned an incredible amount, most of which, at the end of the day, merely reminds him of all that he has yet to still learn. "I am very excited to continue my studies and appreciate the assistance the VSA has to offer."

Jedidjah de Vries

"I have been playing the violin since I was a young child. And, while I enjoy playing, it was always the violin's sound that really attracted me to the instrument. I was captivated by the seemingly magical relationship between the music in my ears and the beautiful object in my hand. As a violin maker my goal is to combine physics, history, and craft into the best possible tool for the musician and, ultimately, for the music. I greatly appreciate the VSA scholarship for helping make my dream a reality."

Julia Felix

"I am from Santa Fe, N.M., and started at the North Bennet Street School in September 2012. Before coming here, I attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., where I majored in Studio Art, and am probably one of the only Art Majors ever to say that the experience has helped immensely with my career so far.

I also come from a very musical family and have played multiple instruments over the course of my life, so between my love of music and my love of making things, Violin Making made a lot of sense to me. I'm currently in my third year here, and am working on building a variation of a 1580 Gasparo Da Salo Viola, which has been extremely interesting and rewarding so far.

Thanks to the VSA Scholarship, I was able to put some money towards my tuition as well as afford a number of tools that I had been squeaking by without, but actually needed very much. It could not have come at a better time, and I am so grateful that this scholarship exists."

Ryan Fini

Ryan grew up in a very musical family in Albuquerque, N.M. He had a fascination with the violin from a very young age and began playing at eight years old. Upon completing his bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico he was accepted into the violin making program at NBSS. Ryan is now a graduate of the school as of June 2014.

"I have always been infatuated with the violin. As a child I was greatly intrigued by the lore and mystique surrounding the great violin makers. When I look back, I can see that becoming a violin maker was only natural for me. I greatly appreciate the generosity of the VSA in awarding me this scholarship. It has enabled me to buy many of the tools that I need, and has assisted me in paying my monthly tuition. I am truly grateful."

Ryan Stulb

Ryan is from Cape Cod, Mass., and started school at North Bennet Street School in September 2012. He is currently working on four Stradivari violins, an Andrea Guarneri viola, and is restoring a German Stainer copy. He is expected to graduate in June of 2015.

"As far back as I can remember, I have been obsessed with music. My father is a finish carpenter. My mother is an art teacher. Both parents influenced me into appreciating visual art and craftsmanship. Violin making was the perfect combination of the visual art, craftsmanship, and the auditory. I worked for five years as a registered nurse and decided I wanted to pursue a passion of mine and really go for it.

I enrolled in the school. After two years of intense training under Roman Barnas, I could not be happier with my decision. I look forward to a lifelong career in doing what I love every day. To the Violin Society of America, thank you for awarding me this scholarship. It was incredibly helpful this last year where I could cut back my hours at my part-time job to focus on perfecting my craft."

Ryan Juntunen

Ryan is from Deer River, Minn., and a graduate of the Violin Repair, as well as both Guitar Repair programs at Southeast Technical College. He started doing repair work and building while he was in high school and was registered as a sole proprietor by the time he graduated.

After graduating from Red Wing he moved back to northern Minnesota and he is currently building a shop where he will be building violins, mandolins and guitars.

"I would like to thank the VSA for the scholarship and their support of violin repair students."

Stephen Sherman

Stephen grew up in Wildwood, Mo., and started playing the violin at a young age. He began studying woodworking in high school. Stephen started at the VMSA in September of 2010 and is looking forward to beginning his graduation work. He is on track to graduate in May of 2014.

"The VSA scholarship has helped to finish the final portion of my school work and has relieved some stress in the process. For that I am very thankful. I love what the school has given me and I'm now ready to use it in the real world. Thanks to all who support the VSA!"

Andrew Moore

Andrew is from McKinney, Texas, and started school in March 2011. He is currently working on his last violin, and will soon begin varnish and setup, and is expected to graduate in May of 2014.

"Growing up in music was one of the most central and enriching parts of life. I've participated in orchestras and chamber groups playing cello; recorded and performed in a band on guitar; and worked as an Audio Engineer. I now look forward to putting music into people's hands through the craft of instrument making. My father has been essential in providing this opportunity for me."

Since beginning school he has developed two separate types of cancer. This scholarship helps with the financial difficulties that have arisen. "I greatly appreciate the VSA for the scholarship as I am working towards finishing the school program. To the Violin Society of America, thank you for your support and generosity. Your commitment to the development of craftsmanship and the growing community of makers is greatly appreciated."

Elizabeth Clarke

Elizabeth started school at the Violin Making School of America at the beginning of October 2011. Now a second-year student, she soon will be closing the box on her fourth violin.

"I started playing the violin when I was four years old and have loved it ever since. I first became interested in violin making in my first year of college. I've loved every second of learning the process of violin making. My dream is to repair violins as a career. This scholarship has been a big help in acquiring some of the much-needed (and expensive) tools of the profession, and I'm very grateful to my wonderful teachers and the Violin Society of America.

Dustin Fagg

Dustin started at VMSA in March of 2012. Originally from Deltona, Fla., Dustin previously worked in construction. The skills learned as a tradesman have not only helped in his studies, but also helped with improvements around the school, which included assembling VMSA's massive new light box.

"I'm currently working on my cello rib structure and will graduate in May of 2014. I am immensely grateful for the scholarship. It has allowed me to attend summer classes and purchase much-needed tools."

Melissa Collins

Melissa proudly hails from Portland, Ore., and started at VMSA in October 2010. Currently finishing last violin and beginning varnish, she is expected to graduate May 2014.

"Thank you so much for the scholarship this year. It helps so much and is allowing me to make final tool purchases as I prepare to complete my graduation work. Thank you for your continued support of violin making students."

Greg Jablonski

A retired National Park Service employee and avid Irish music fan, Greg is currently in his second year at CSVM and hails from Franklin, Wis.

Drew Harding

From Aurora, Ill., Drew completed the violin repair program at Minnesota State College Southeast Technical, and is currently in his second year at CSVM. He continues guitar/violin repair and making in his spare time.

Michael Jackson

Originally from Wyoming, Michael traveled extensively before beginning his studies at CSVM. He will graduate in 2013.

Scott Albert

Scott is a retired Air Force first sergeant who is currently completing his final year of study at CSVM. A VSA judge's scribe in 2012, Scott also attended the recent Oberlin Violin Making workshop as an intern.

Michael Fazio

Michael is an accomplished musician originally from Washington state. He is currently in his second year at CSVM and is working on his first cello.

Stefan Rieck

Studying under Lisbeth Butler, John Reed and Ute Zahn, Stephen graduated in 2013 with high honors from the violin repair and construction course at Southeast Technical in Red Wing, Minn. After leaving Minnesota he moved back to Sioux Falls, S.D., to start work in an established luthier shop, String Theory Luthiery.

Stefan has a lifelong passion for woodworking, and was steered toward lutherie with help from his brother Josh Rieck, also a graduate of the Southeast Technical program in Red Wing. Stefan's desire to repair and create long-lasting, beautiful instruments drives him to succeed in his newfound career.

Stefan would like to express his thanks to the VSA for the generous scholarship.

Brandi Oviedo

Brandi is a 2013 graduate of the Violin Repair Program at Southeast Technical in Red Wing, Minn. In addition to completing the Violin Repair Diploma, she took an additional class in Violin Construction, where she built a violin by hand – "mostly by hand, the old-fashioned way."

Since 2009, Brandi has worked at Ray's Midbell Music in Sioux City, Iowa, teaching piano, violin, cello, and guitar. Following graduation, she will now be responsible for maintaining and servicing orchestra instruments rented and sold by Ray's Midbell Music.

Brandi holds a bachelor of music degree in music education and a bachelor of science in psychology from the University of South Dakota, where she studied cello with Richard Rognstad, Nick Curry, and Marie-Elaine Gagnon. She performs with many area groups including the Sioux City Symphony, Sioux City's Rockestra, Wayne State College Orchestra, and the Rose Quartet.

Sarah Bystrom

Sarah is from Ellsworth, Wis., and first began playing classical violin when she was 10. "At the age of 12, I had the opportunity to take lessons from John Reed, who opened my eyes to Celtic and bluegrass fiddling, and I loved it!" she says. She began building her first violin at the age of 14, working in John Reed's studio. By the age of 18, Sarah had already completed two violins under his consistent and encouraging teaching efforts. She had also earned the Violin Repair Diploma from Southeast Technical, crediting the help of her college instructors, Lisbeth Nelson Butler and John Reed.

Three weeks after graduating, Sarah moved to Nashville, Tenn., where she now works as the bow specialist at Williams Fine Violins as well as in instrument repair and setup. She is excited to continue learning and growing in her violin building interests with the help of shop owner Dustin Williams.