Marianne Jost 16" viola, 2025, Cremona | Metzler Violins

soulful, complex, supple

About the Instrument
This viola has a gorgeous sound with a refined complexity across registers. It has a lovely strong medium curl on its single-piece Balkan maple back, complimented by a beautiful apricot varnish over a wheat ground. The ribs and scroll are of the same wood. The maker has thoughtfully antiqued this instrument, including a subtle craquelé across its front and back plates. The sale of this instrument will come with a certificate from Consorzio Liutai "Antonio Stradivari" Cremona.

Interior label reads: “Marianne Jost / Cremona 2025” and includes her initials and brand
Length: 405 mm (16”)
Upper Bouts: 194 mm
Middle: 137 mm
Lower Bouts: 241 mm 

About the Maker
Marianne Jost (1971- ) is a contemporary Cremonese-based luthier born in Locarno, Switzerland. In her early twenties, Jost moved to Cremona, Italy and attended the Scuola Internazionale di Liuteria "Antonio Stradivari,” studying under Masters Francesco and Vincenzo Bissolotti. After graduating in 1997, Jost attended a bow making course in Cremona from 1998 to 2001, organized by the Regione Lombardia. From 2001 to 2002, she collaborated with a curator in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany to restore its collection of instruments, working in the atelier of Master Rainer Krause. In 2007, Jost lead a course in instrument construction and varnishing in Moresco, Italy.

Over her career, Jost has earned many laurels for her work. In 2008, she participated at the International Violin Making Competition of Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico and was awarded Third Prize. Four years later, Jost’s exhibited in the violin category of the Triennale International Violin Making Competition of Cremona, receiving the highest score among Cremonese luthiers. She received First Prize for Best Technique at the International Violin Making Competition in 2017 in Prague. In 2021, Jost was given Honorable Mention, the Violin Category at Cremona’s Triennale Competition, and was awarded the fourth place. It is of no surprise that Jost is regarded by musicians and her peers as a maker with exacting craftsmanship and skill.