Newark School of Violin Making
RAB Award 2022: In his application this year Sebastiano requested financial support to go on the BVMA set up course. The RAB Trust were happy to provide full funding for this.
The set up course at Halsway Manor that took place at the end of June 2022 was one of the best things that happened to me in my last year of college.The setting, first of all, was incredible, so beautiful it was that for the whole week I couldn’t stop thinking that I was not there on holiday.The quality of the teaching was also great, both Andrew Fairfax and Kathrin Hügel were extremely patient and supportive and they showed us their different ways to finish a violin in order to get the best sound out of it. I brought with me a new violin and a relatively old one to experience a bit of variety. We also got supplied with enough bridges to last us a couple more instruments, and strings as well. At the end of the week we managed to have some of our violins played and we had time to learn some sound adjustment.I thank very much the RAB trust for helping me taking part in this wonderful week.I thank very much the teachers for all their knowledge.And I thank also all the staff at the Manor house, for feeding us incredibly well and more than enough!
RAB Award 2021:
Sebastiano was awarded funding for strings + a work placement with Philip Ihle.
With the help of his friend Merrit he could hear his cello, and this is what he wrote about his award:
I am so happy I can finally hear my instruments! Thanks to the financial help I received last year I managed to purchase some sets of strings that I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to afford, and so, with some additional work, like the pegs I turned, my viola, cello and two violins are now singing!I also greatly appreciated the time and effort Philip Ihle put in having me at his workshop, an experience that was very rich even if short, due to unfortunate circumstances. The two intense days I spent there in his company and that of his assistant Mathieu, saw me opening up a violin they made in the last year and re-thicknessing the back and ribs: a completely new concept to me. I also learned relatively a lot about arching,and some pre-varnishing techniques that I have already applied to my second cello. Thank you both for your kindness and time, I really appreciated that!And thanks a lot for making all this possible, RAB Trust!
RAB Award 2020:
Sebastiano was awarded funding for a bending iron, plane iron and a Strad poster.
In lieu of work placements awarded this year, the RAB Trust have awarded extra funding for tools to help working at home.
He writes:
“I am so glad I had the opportunity to upgrade my Stanley plane with a Ray Iles blade. Now I can make good shavings for hours after sharpening! The poster will inspire me making instruments that work but that also look interesting and full of little funny details. And the bending iron is of course a basic tool to have at home, especially during summers and lockdowns. Thank you so much RAB Trust!”
