Jan Bartos Guarneri model violin, 2016, Paris | Metzler Violins

nimble, versatile, supple

About the Instrument
This violin has a spirited sound with a particular expansive low register. The instrument has a lovely amber varnish over a gold ground, which brings out the strong medium curl on its single-piece back. The flames similarly run along the ribs and scroll.

Interior label reads: “Jan Bartos À Paris 2016” with the maker’s stamp. A more prominent label reads: “Joseph Guarnerius fecit / Cremone anno 1735”
Length: 354 mm
Upper Bouts: 165 mm
Middle: 114 mm
Lower Bouts: 205 mm

About the Maker
Jan Bartos is a contemporary Polish luthier who now lives and works in France. After graduating with a degree in violin making from the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, Bartos worked as the head of Eric Blot’s atelier in Cremona for a decade. While at Blot’s shop, Bartos deeply studied the luthiers who defined Cremona as the historical heart of violin making: Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati, and others. Bartos is known for his remarkable copies of Stradivari and Guarneri violins (like this one). In 2007, Bartos opened his own workshop in the Marias District of Paris with the bow maker Paul Sadka. Over his decades of work, Bartos has earned awards from the Violin Society of America, including a Silver Medal for Violin Tone. Bartos has also seen success in his violas and cellos, with Violoncelle en Seine prizes in tone and instrument making and the International Viola Competition in Paris.