Francesco Toto
Francesco Toto was born in Lecce, Italy in 1972. At the age of 18 he graduated from the G. Pellegrino Institute for Art in Lecce and moved to Cremona to study construction of stringed instruments. He ended up enrolling in the International School of Violin Making. Toto moved to Germany shortly after his graduation in Cremona, where he honed his skills in restoration. In 1996 he opened his own workshop in Cremona.
Toto has received many awards particularly for his cellos, including a bronze medal in Mittenwald in 2001, a Certificate of Merit from the Violin Society of America’s 15th International Competition in 2002, a silver medal in Mittenwald in 2005, and gold medals from Cremona in 2006 and from the “Walter Stauffer” Musicology Centre. He is also a member of the “Antonio Stradivari” Consortium of Violin Makers in Cremona and the Violin Society of America.
A magnificent example of this well-known maker’s work. The cello is exceptionally beautiful both in conception and workmanship. Its tone is complex and powerful and suitable for the most discriminating…