Marinos Glitsos 16 3/4" viola, Saint Paul, MN, 2026 | Metzler Violins

spirited, warm, sweet

About the Instrument
This viola’s sound has a warmth and sweetness that rings out across its registers, while also spirited and responsive. The instrument has a dark amber varnish over a wheat ground. Its unique quilted figure on the half slab cut single-piece maple back lists sharply up from the treble side. A plainer wood was used for the ribs, with a flame figure on the scroll. The instrument is antiqued and shaded by its maker.

Interior label reads: “Marinos Glitsos  / Saint Paul 2026”
Length: 425 mm
Upper Bouts: 200 mm
Middle: 143 mm
Lower Bouts: 250 mm

About the Maker
Marinos Glitsos is a contemporary luthier based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The son of a master carpenter, Glitsos initially pursued cello performance at University of Wisconsin-Superior, earning his bachelors before undertaking a two-year apprentice with the esteemed luthier Daniel Larsen. Glitsos then began attending the Violin Making School of America where he studied under Songhoon Lee. Upon graduation, Glitsos returned to Saint Paul and worked under John Waddle in his shop. While working in Waddle’s atelier, Glitsos became engaged in radiologist Dr. Steve Sirr’s CT-scan research on stringed instruments to learn more about their tone. For five years, Glitsos completed expert setup and tonal adjustments at the Paul A. Schmitt Violin Shop with Peter Bingen. He now builds his own instruments in his shop in Saint Paul.

https://www.marinosglitsos.com/