Liutaio · Master Luthier
Handcrafted violins, violas & cellos, shaped by his hands.
Gregorio Martini trained for six years in Cremona and in the atelier of Riccardo Bergonzi. Every instrument that bears his name is carved, varnished and voiced by hand — one at a time.
- 6years of study in Cremona
- 1year in the atelier of Riccardo Bergonzi
- 4voices of the violin family
Gregorio Martini with one of his cellos
IPreludioThe atelier
Every instrument 
begins as a conversation between a block of aged tonewood 
and the hands 
that listen to it.
Il credoof the atelier
For Gregorio Martini, making a violin is not production — it is dialogue. The spruce is tapped and flexed, the maple turned to the light, each plate carved until it rings with the right note.
Nothing is hurried, and nothing is left to a machine. The result is an instrument with a voice of its own — responsive under the bow, generous in colour, built to grow with its player for generations.
How an instrument is madeIIAndanteThe family
Four voices, one family
From the brilliance of the violin to the deep foundation of the double bass — every member of the violin family, made by the same hands.
01Violino
Violins
7 instruments
02Viola
Violas
1 instrument
03Violoncello
Cellos
3 instruments
04Contrabbasso
Double basses
2 instruments
Shown to scale — body lengths of full-size instruments.
IIIAllegroFrom the workbench
Selected instruments
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Violino
Violin Opus 01
Discover
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Violino
Violin Opus 02
Discover
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Violino
Violin Opus 03
Discover
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Violino
Violin Opus 04
Discover
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Viola
Viola Opus 01
Discover
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Violoncello
Cello Opus 01
Discover
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Violoncello
Cello Opus 02
Discover
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Contrabbasso
Double bass Opus 01
Discover
- 13 instruments in the portfolio The whole collection See them all Open the portfolio
IVAdagioThe craft
From a drawing to a voice
Five stages, many weeks, one pair of hands. Read on and watch an instrument come to life on the page.
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I
The wood
Spruce for the voice, maple for the reflection. Tonewood is chosen by eye, by hand and by ear — tapped, flexed and seasoned for years before the first cut.
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II
The plates
Top and back are carved and graduated with gouges and finger planes, tenth of a millimetre by tenth of a millimetre, until each plate rings with the right tone.
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III
The scroll
Carved freehand from a single block of maple, the scroll is the maker’s signature — its spiral reveals the hand behind the instrument.
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IV
The varnish
Applied in thin layers and cured slowly, the varnish protects the wood, sets the flame alight and gives the instrument its final colour.
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V
The voice
Bridge, soundpost and strings: the set-up is where the instrument learns to speak. It is played, adjusted and played again until it answers.
- How an instrument is made
VCantabileThe maker
Trained in Cremona. Devoted to sound.
Gregorio Martini spent six years in the advanced violin-making course in Cremona, under master Aromatico, and a further year at the bench of the renowned maker Riccardo Bergonzi.
His encounter with Alessandro Ciciliati, of the Ferrara school, left a lasting mark on his style — classical proportion, and a voice that is warm, direct and full of character.
An instrument is finished only when it begins to answer the player.
Read the full storyIl percorsoA path in five notes
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Five years
Foundation
Specialised studies in instrument making — the discipline of the bench.
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Six years
Cremona
Advanced course at the Istituto Professionale Internazionale per l’Artigianato Liutario e del Legno “Antonio Stradivari” (I.P.I.A.L.L.) in Cremona, under master Aromatico.
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One year
The atelier
Internship at the bench of the renowned maker Riccardo Bergonzi.
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An influence
Ferrara
Alessandro Ciciliati, of the Ferrara school, leaves a lasting mark on his style.
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2012 · 2013
On stage
His instruments are exhibited at Cremona Mondomusica.
Exhibited at
Cremona Mondomusica
20122013
VIDomandeQuestions
Before you write
The questions musicians ask most often about our instruments and commissions.
All questions01 What instruments does Gregorio Martini make?
Gregorio Martini makes the four voices of the violin family entirely by hand: violins, violas, cellos and double basses. Each instrument is built individually, from the choice of tonewood to the final set-up.
02 Where did Gregorio Martini train as a violin maker?
He spent six years in the advanced violin-making course of the Istituto Professionale Internazionale per l’Artigianato Liutario e del Legno “Antonio Stradivari” (I.P.I.A.L.L.) in Cremona, Italy, under master Aromatico, followed by a one-year internship in the atelier of Riccardo Bergonzi. His contact with Alessandro Ciciliati of the Ferrara school had a lasting influence on his style.
03 Can I commission a made-to-measure instrument?
Yes. A commission begins with a conversation about your playing, your repertoire and the sound you are looking for. Together you choose the model, the wood and the colour of the varnish, and the instrument is then made for you alone.
04 Which woods are used for a handmade violin?
Following the classical tradition, the top is carved from spruce, while the back, ribs and scroll are carved from maple — often flamed maple, whose figure shimmers under the varnish. The fingerboard and fittings are usually ebony.
Finale
Let us make an instrument that sounds like you.
Tell Gregorio about your playing, your repertoire and the voice you are searching for. Every commission begins with a conversation.