Artur Friedhoff Calvo violin, Strad Titian model, 2022, Oakland CA | Metzler Violins

soulful, resonant, commanding 



About the Instrument

This violin has a lovely resonant timbre across registers that makes for an excellent solo instrument. The violin is loosely based on the Stradivari P form “Titian” model from 1715. The varnish is an apricot over a wheat ground, bringing out the strong flame descending from the center joint on the quarter cut two-piece back descending. The ribs and scroll are of the same maple but slightly less flamed. The neck is internally reinforced with carbon fiber. The lower ribs are in one piece. The top is spruce of medium width, straight and regular grain, and the f-holes are in the Stradivari style. This instrument is thoughtfully antiqued by its maker. The violin is accompanied by the maker's certificate of authenticity.



Interior label reads: "Artur Friedhoff Calvo / Oakland, California 2022"

Length: 357 mm

Upper Bouts: 166 mm

Middle: 113 mm

Lower Bouts: 205 mm



About the Maker
Artur Friedhoff Calvo (1986- ) is a contemporary luthier who was born in Barcelona, Spain and is based in Oakland, California. Under the guidance of his uncle, Friedhoff Calvo crafted his first violin at the age of fifteen and quickly created a connection with the notable Catalan violin maker David Bagué. While earning a degree in industrial engineering, Friedhoff Calvo briefly studied under Derek Roberts in England to learn essential elements of violin making. His undergraduate thesis of a stringless MIDI earned him an award for Best Engineering Thesis that year. Upon graduation, Friedhoff Calvo began to apprentice under the Violin Society of America Gold Medalist Paul Hart in Utah, building his first cello. After two years, Friedhoff Calvo spent a decade working in the Ifshin Violin shop in El Cerrito, California, apprenticing under Haide Lin to learn the nuances of repair and restoration. While focusing on repair and restoration at Ifshin, Friedhoff Calvo also began to build instruments of his own in his private Oakland shop. He quickly earned accolades for his work. Since 2014, he has consistently received VSA certificates for tone, artisanship, and earned a Silver Medal for Quartet Tone in 2024. He began building instruments full-time in 2020. Friedhoff Calvo has continued to learn about craftsmanship under the tutelage of Ryan Soltis, the Oberlin Acoustics workshop, and the Oh, Berlin violin and bow making workshop.