Davide Negroni violin, 2023, Cremona, ITALY

Davide Negroni was born in Cremona on August 9th, 1991. Davide started learning artistic woodworking in his father’s workshop when he was a child, where his first projects were the making of two guitars. During the summer, Davide usually spent time in his uncle’s restoration workshop, where he learned the art of preserving and restoring fine and antique furniture. He learned to recognize the styles and the materials involved, and also to apply the necessary techniques, such as lacquering, gilding and French polishing. He now applies these skills to his current violin-making, with the highest respect for the traditions of the past.
In 2009 he passed the high school graduation examination at the B. Munari high school in Cremona, which specializes in artistic subjects. His project as part of this examination was the design of a complete fresco on a wall of room in a children’s hospital. He later continued this project by painting the fresco he had designed.
After a short trial period, his good manual skills were recognized, and he was hired by the company Giani in Corte de Frati (Cremona), a famous builder and restorer of pipe organs. Even though the work was very interesting, Davide decided to resign and to begin working with his father as a violin maker. He began his training, and soon started building violins, violas and cellos using Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù models.
He has the opportunity to use excellent, well seasoned wood from his father store for all the components of the instruments, including bridges, bass-bars and sound-posts. These parts are all of the highest importance for the acoustic aspects of the instruments. Davide has also learned the process of varnishing, retouching and French polishing using the mixed varnish which as been perfected by his father over his career, using an amber color with orange reflections on a golden yellow ground. He also participated in the 7th International Competition in Mittenwald in 2014. He is now a full member of “Negroni violinmaker & sons” and has a good working relationship with his father.