Virginie Pezet Berton

Virginie Pezet Berton discovered her passion for the violin in childhood. She was driven by a keen interest to understand the function and creation of sound to study violin-making. She graduated from technical school in Mirecourt, France in 1996 and then in Newark, England in 1998. After graduating, she continued to perfect her knowledge, working first under John Trealnes in Lausanne and then under Kaspar Maurer in Geneva. In those workshops, she learned techniques of restoration and adjustment as well. In 2003, she joined the workshop “luthiers du Quatuor” in Bourg-la-Reine. Here, she became acutely interested in studying instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries. Later, this interest would translate into her work, where she often combines traditional models with her personal style.

Virginie Pezet Berton established her own workshop in Ivry-sur-Seine in 2016. In April 2016, she was a finalist of the Concours International de Lutherie and won the “Coup de Coeur” from Nicolas Gilles and Jean-Louis Prochasson. She has been a member of ALADFI, the French association of violin and bow makers, for several years and she is currently serving as the association’s president.

Berton sources her materials from European forests, finding inspiration for the style of the instrument from natural landscapes. To this end, she has developed a unique natural varnish. The resulting finish is soft and golden. Musicians favor her instruments for their precision and tonal quality. The homogeneity of her work offers many possibilities for sound and expression.