
In my shop it is just me. I will be the only one person who you will be dealing with, I am the one who selects the wood, varnishes, sets up and makes every instrument coming out of my shop.
I was born in Madrid in 1971. After finishing high school in Madrid, I enrolled at the University of Saint Louis in Missouri (U.S.), and graduated in 1994 with Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. Upon completing my university studies my love for music and woodworking drove me to focus on building and restoring stringed musical instruments. In 1997 I received a diploma from the Red Wing Technical College in Minnesota for Guitar repair and building. In the following year I moved to Schio, Vicenza in Italy. There I worked for Manne Guitars where I repaired and built guitars. In 1998, I moved to Cremona to study at the Antonio Stradivarius School of Violin Making of Cremona. I learned building and restoration mainly from maestro Lorenzo Marchi. In the year 2001 I graduated from the Violin Making School in Cremona earning the Violin Maker diploma. Immediately after graduating I did some training in the shop of Silvio Levaggi. In 2002 I worked for a period in the shop of Alberto Giordano in Genoa.
My instruments are played worldwide by well-known professional musicians that appreciate the acoustic quality, the exceptional workmanship, the selective choice of well-seasoned woods and the depth and warm beauty of the oil varnishes achieved through the study of materials, old recipes and research on the subject.
I build violins, violas and cellos. I am not really a prolific maker as I prefer to build a very limited number of instruments a year so I can focus on quality of sound and workmanship My work is inspired by the old classic instruments of the Cremonese tradition, from makers like Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati interpreted with my own personal style. I am very influenced by the work of my contemporary colleagues violin makers and I consider my exchange of knowledge with them to be a fundamental drive in my professional growth. I have participated and had the honour of receiving awards in different international violin making competitions.
Keep in touch
Don’t be shy to contact me, if you prefer you can send me a letter
Borja Bernabeu | Via dei Divizioli, 2B | 26100 Cremona CR | Italia | +39 329 411 2384 | info@borjabernabeu.com | P. IVA 01359450192