Riccardo Bergonzi, Cremona 1983

Riccardo Bergonzi, born 1961 in Cremona, started playing violin at age nine and fell in love with the instrument. Bergonzi started working in the shop of the maker Stefano Conia, where he built his first violin. At the Cremona School of Violinmaking, Bergonzi studied under Francesco Bissolotti and other prominent makers. He graduated at the top of his class in 1979 and was offered a teaching position at the school just three months later. After ten years of teaching, Bergonzi retired from the school to devote more time to his workshop. His instruments have earned him many awards, including first prize for a viola at the 1991 Cremona Triennial Competition. Maestro Bergonzi’s instruments have been featured several times in the Cremona Violinmaking Exhibition at Brobst Violin Shop. This is a beautiful instrument from this well-known contemporary Cremonese maker. Its varnish is a rich amber color. The top is made from two pieces of spruce with narrow to medium width grain. The back is made from two pieces of maple with a strong figure descending from the center joint.