Sergio Peresson

Born in Udine, Italy in 1913, Peresson began his violin making profession in 1943. In 1947, he moved to Caracas, Venezuela to become a repairer for the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra. Afterwards, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to work for William Moenning between the years 1963 and 1971. He then became independently established in Haddonfield, New Jersey and quickly began producing instruments in great quantity and quality. In his earlier work, he used Guarneri models and shaded spirit varnish. His high reputation among players, including cellists, Jacqueline du Pré and Mstislav Rostropovich, was due to the copies of master instruments he crafted with the experience he gained in Moenning’s shop. He later passed away in Haddonfield in 1991, after 48 years of violin making. In his own words: “My instruments are my own model, and in my opinion the principal qualities of an ideal violin, viola or violoncello are beauty, quality, evenness and clarity of tone, rich sonority, powerful projection, and quick and easy response.”