„For me, being a luthier means combining passion and craftsmanship. It is the art of not only creating an instrument, but also facilitating a deep relationship between the musician and his instrument.“
Martin Schwalb
My life dream.
Martin Schwalb grew up in a musical environment and developed the desire to play the violin at an early age. He received his first violin lessons at the age of eight and his interest in the instrument grew steadily. Visits to violin making workshops and his manual skills cemented his decision to become a violin maker. In 1989 he began his training at the Staatliche Musikinstrumentenbauschule Mittenwald (School for Instrument Making Mittenwald), which he completed in 1992 with the journeyman's examination. He gained formative experience during his years as a journeyman with Konrad Stoll in Allgäu and Markus Lützel in Würzburg, where he honed his skills in the construction and restoration of violins. In 1998, he passed his master craftsman's examination at the Hamburg Chamber of Crafts.
The world's most beautiful violins.
Martin Schwalb then worked as a master luthier in the workshops of Machold Rare Violins in Vienna and New York until 2005. During these years he continued to specialise in the restoration and sound adjustment of instruments. His work with some of the most beautiful violins in Italian violin making left a lasting impression and continues to influence his own new designs to this day. He also cultivated an exchange with international soloists and musicians from Viennese orchestras, which had a significant influence on his work.
His own studio.
Martin Schwalb has been running his own workshop in Vienna since 2006, where he mainly specialises in building new instruments. His extensive experience in restoration and sound adjustment flows into each of his works. Martin Schwalb was also inspired by his participation in the annual Oberlin Violin Makers Workshop, where he received valuable inspiration for his own work in a creative exchange with international colleagues. His violins are based on the classical Italian school, but have their own signature and are known for their tone colours, playing characteristics and radiance.
In addition to his work as a violin maker, Martin Schwalb is also active as a musician, both in chamber music formations and in experimental music projects with the electric violin.
Martin Schwalb is a member of the Violin Society of America (VSA)