Wonderful World of Violins – 100 Violin Knowledge Questions

Author: Cao Shukun / Hong Feng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: For a student, the violin is a tool for learning music; for a musician, it is a weapon for expressing music; for a luthier, it is a craft of creation; for a collector, it is an antique for investment; and for violin enthusiasts, its significance is even deeper. Due to its highly humanized sound, some compare it to a lover or a wife. Once you fall in love with it, you will never leave it for a lifetime. The violin was introduced to China around the 19th century. Subsequently, with its unique charm, it was quickly accepted and loved by the Chinese. In recent years, the manufacturing and use of violins in China have developed particularly rapidly. China is not only a major production country with an annual violin output exceeding one million but also a major country in terms of violin usage. With the continuous improvement of living standards, people's demands for violin quality have also gradually increased. Many professional groups and individuals have purchased violins worth tens of thousands or even millions of RMB. Therefore, there is a desire for a more novel and comprehensive book on violin knowledge, such as its history, manufacturing schools, classification, structural characteristics, sound principles, maintenance and care, and all related issues. To meet this demand, as a violinist, luthier, and collector with decades of experience and emotional connection to violins, we have compiled this booklet, hoping to help most violin enthusiasts and inspire more people to develop interest, care, and love for violins. May this wonderful and enchanting instrument bring more joy to everyone's life.
Author Bio: Cao Shukun was born in Guangzhou in 1956. In 1977, he began working at Guangdong Musical Instrument Factory, specializing in violin making. In May 1985, he funded his studies in the United States. In 1986, the violins he crafted won the Excellence in Sound Award at the 7th International Violin Making Competition in the U.S. In 1989, he obtained permanent residency in the U.S. as an outstanding artist. In 1990, he partnered with Japanese-American luthier Hedio Kamimoto to open a violin shop, later establishing his own company, Cao's Violins, three years later. In 1990, he returned to China to set up a factory and founded Guangzhou Grimalda Violin Manufacturing Co., Ltd., followed by the establishment of China's Songdi Violin Shop and Wholesale Center. Cao Shukun is regarded as one of the most internationally renowned Chinese violin masters. His handcrafted violins have won numerous international competition awards, including two gold medals, two silver medals, and multiple awards for sound quality and craftsmanship. In recent years, his violins have been widely used and appreciated by renowned violinists both domestically and internationally, including Pamela, Kremer, Kennedy, Mischa, and Lin Yaoji, Huang Bin, and Xie Nan. Pamela even praised Cao as one of the world's best violin makers. Currently, Cao Shukun serves as the Chairman of Guangzhou Grimalda Violin Company, Chairman of Cao's Violins USA, and Chairman of China's Songdi Violin Shop, as well as an External Council Member of the Chinese Violin Makers Association.
Hong Feng was born in Chongqing and grew up in Shanghai. He began learning the violin at a young age, studying under masters such as Lü Hao, Zhang Shixiang, Lin Kechang, and Alice Schoenfeld. In 1980, he obtained a diploma as a violinist from the Royal College of Music in the UK and worked as a violin teacher at the Hong Kong Government Music Office. At the same time, he maintained close ties with renowned luthiers such as Liang Guohui and Xu Fu in Guangzhou. Influenced by Lü Hao and Yuan Zhu from a young age, and later guided by Liang Guohui and Xu Fu during his time in Hong Kong, Hong developed a deep interest and dedication to the structure, principles, and appreciation of string instruments. In 1988, he moved to the U.S. and had the opportunity to play and study many Italian violins, broadening his horizons significantly. In the 1990s, he traveled extensively across Europe, establishing close personal relationships with contemporary master luthiers such as Lloyd K. Liu, F. Bissolotti, G. B. Morassi, Ce' Giorgio, Bruno Montagne, and P. Balzarini, as well as maintaining excellent connections with Chinese musicians and luthiers worldwide. In 1998, he co-founded the "Global String Music Lovers Association in the U.S." with Lin Zhaoliang, Lin Yaoji, Liu Wangguo, Lü Hao, Lin Boheng, and Luo Zhaoguang. As the editor of the association's journal "Bridge," which is rich in content and appealing to both experts and the general public, he also frequently wrote music-related profiles for North America's most widely read weekly magazine. Both "Bridge" and his profiles have been highly praised by Chinese music lovers worldwide. In 2004, he edited the book "Liang Guohui: A Violin Maker," which is China's first full-color, illustrated book about a luthier. That same year, he compiled the "World Directory of Chinese Violin Makers, Bow Makers, and Brands," a bilingual (Chinese-English) professional book that remains the only of its kind in the world, playing a crucial role in helping foreigners understand the Chinese violin-making industry.