The Violin Place
The 'Cello Challege' Team of Luthiers

Adele Beardsmore is an English violin maker and repairer now working in the Blue Mountains,

near Sydney, Australia. Adele graduated from the Newark School of Violin Making in 1987

and was awarded the Ralph Oakden Cup for outstanding achievement. She has been a tutor

at the Cambridge Violin Making Summer School in the UK and has worked in various

locations in England and The Netherlands before moving to Australia in 1994.

Rainer Beilharz was born in 1964 in Bendigo. He began violin making in 1982 and his training

in Australia and Germany culminated in a Master certificate with distinction in Germany in

1997. Since this time he has been working exclusively as a maker of new instruments in

Guildford, Victoria, with instruments played Australia wide as well as Europe and the US.

Alex Grant was born in Helmsdale, Scotland in 1953. Emigrating to New Zealand in 1980, he

served his apprenticeship in the trade before returning to Britain to complete his formal

training. He is a graduate of the Welsh School of Violin Making. He headed the workshops of

Classic Violins in London and Sandra Wagstaff Violins in Hong Kong before moving to

Melbourne in 1996 where, for the past twelve years, he has run his own business, Alex W

Grant Violins Pty Limited.

Benedict Puglisi began formal training in string instrument making and repair in 1988, working

with many makers, including German trained violinmaker J Ferwerda. After further studies in

the UK, Benedict returned to Melbourne, to form his own business, Atelier Puglisi, where,

alongside other fine makers from around the world, he is well respected for his fine

restorations, repairs and his handmade Double Basses. Benedict has recently enjoyed

extending his making skills to include cellos. www.atelierpuglisi.com

James W Robinson was born in Seattle, Washington in 1948. He is a graduate of the violin

making school in Cremona, Italy and studied with Gio Batta Morassi and Francesco Bissolotti

until 1973. Jim has three international awards for instrument making and has worked at well

known violin shops in London, New York City, Boston, Portland, Tokyo and Singapore.

Adrian Studer was born in Bern, Switzerland in 1948. After emigrating to the USA at a young

age, he returned to Switzerland to attend the Swiss Violin Making School in Brienz. After

completion in 1975, he moved to Paris to work in the atelier of J Camurat. In 1977 a further

move took him to the workshop of Willem Bouman in The Hague. After four years he

obtained the Master Violin Maker's Diploma at the Mittenwald School of Violin Making in

Germany. Since 1983 Adrian has been living and working in Nelson, N.Z. He has

established an international reputation as a maker of fine violins, violas and cellos.

Frank is a graduate of the violin making school in Cremona, he worked as a restorer in the

workshop of Jacques Camurat in Paris, going on to establish his own workshop in 1991 He is

one of the most highly regarded makers in the world today, having won many gold medals at

international competitions. Frank has been a regular guest lecturer at the Oberlin workshop,

U.S.A. since 1997 and has presented lectures at other events such as Vernix 2000 in Puerto

Rico, Journèe Europèenne de la Lutherie in France and the First International Violin Makers

Conference in Australia. He has been a juror at various international violin making

competitions, including Mittenwald, Germany and the Violin Society of America.

Hugh Withycombe is a dynamic young maker living in Canberra, Australia. He has a special

interest in and understanding of cello sound both as a professional maker and player. He

trained at Newark School of Violin Making in the UK, graduating in 2001. After working with

two prominent London dealers he returned to establish his own business at Gorman House

Arts Centre, Canberra.