Where Will the Next Generation Learn? Alternative Pathways into Violin Making and Restoration

With the threatened closure of the Musical Instrument Craft degree at the Newark School of Violin Making—the UK’s last dedicated undergraduate course for lutherie—an urgent question arises: where will tomorrow’s violin makers come from?

Since its inception in 1972, Newark provided a structured, rigorous foundation for aspiring luthiers. It offered not only training in carving, varnishing and acoustics, but also a community—an environment where traditional knowledge could be passed on with care and consistency in small group demonstrations and one-to-one tutoring from multiple teachers in one place. Around it businesses and professional workshops emerged and flourished. Without the college cornerstone, those wishing to pursue a career in violin making or restoration now face a more fragmented path. But the road hasn’t disappeared—it’s just changed direction.

Reviving the Apprenticeship Model

Before formal courses existed, most instrument makers learned through apprenticeship. This hands-on method, rooted in centuries of tradition, is experiencing a quiet resurgence. Some established luthiers are opening their doors to trainees, passing on knowledge in workshops rather than lecture halls. Charities like the RAB-trust organise short-term workshop placement where learners can get uninterrupted one-to-one attention from a professional maker or restorer.

Though fewer and more selective than university courses, these mentorships offer immersive learning. They also foster a deep understanding of workshop culture and real-world client work. The challenge? Opportunities are limited, competition is fierce, and many makers lack the funding or time to take on apprentices without support. And it is beneficial to change workshops to learn from multiple masters to gain a broader understanding and to figure out your own direction within the profession.

For those who can find the right match(es), this route can be incredibly rewarding—and arguably closer in spirit to how violin making was always meant to be taught.

Short Courses and Part-Time Training

In response to the demand, several institutions and private studios now offer short courses, summer schools and part-time programmes in stringed instrument making. These can provide foundational skills and help students decide if they wish to pursue the craft further. Arguably these short courses have helped to cultivate an idea into a passion. What Newark - and education centres like it - does is take that passion and give it wings and a direction.

Places like the Cambridge Violin Makers’ workshops as well as the Glasgow School offer options that, while not a substitute for longer full-time study, can serve as stepping stones. For those already working in related fields—such as woodwork, restoration or music performance—these courses offer the chance to diversify their skills and potentially pivot into a new career. The BVMA (British Violin Making Association) also from time to time organises short term courses for professionals to further deepen their expertise in a specific field. Another highlight is the annual series of Oberlin workshops in the USA.

However, accessibility remains a concern. Many of these programmes are self-funded and can be prohibitively expensive for younger students or those from underrepresented backgrounds. And you often need to bring your own toolkit - which is time intensive to build up and often feels like a daunting task if you are just starting out.

International Full-Time Study and Relocation

Some aspiring luthiers are now looking beyond the UK. Italy, Germany, Switzerland and France all have long-established training centres with strong reputations and government support. Cremona, in particular, remains a global centre for violin making. Looking abroad has another big hurdle in that tuition is often not in English. For Germany you for instance would have to show proof of passing a c-1 diploma in German language from the Goethe Institut to be considered for their application as well as musical skills in playing an instrument. Sweden has a school, Belgium and The Netherlands also since a few years.

For students choosing between different violin making schools in Europe, there are plenty of factors to consider. There are basics such as fee levels and whether the institution is public (Mittenwald) or private with high tuition fees (Brienz or West Dean). There is the location to consider: do you want to study in a city like Glasgow, or in a place steeped in violin making tradition like Mirecourt or Cremona, or somewhere surrounded by lakes and mountains such as Brienz or Mittenwald? And then there’s size: while 20 to 30 students spread over three years is common, the Swiss Violin Making School in Brienz offers only three places a year, whereas the International Violin Making School in Cremona currently has 165 students across eight classes! There are schedules to consider as some colleges consider 2 days a week a full-time education when others organise classes from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Given the time constraints, just how much can a school teach in the way of acoustics, materials science, restoration, varnish making, and business skills? And then there’s the character of the learning, the atmosphere in the workshop between teachers and students, whether the teachers are active professional makers as well as educators or full-time instructors, and how much time is given to the development of critical thinking, questioning and reflection to take your craft to the next level?

For those with the resources and flexibility, studying abroad can be a powerful way to learn and broadening your personal and professional horizons as well as create a worldwide network of colleagues that you can consult later on in your career. Losing a unique instrument craft school like Newark represents a profound loss for the UK. When students must leave the country to train, they are less likely to return—and our national expertise continues to drain away.

Digital Resources and DIY Learning?

While not a complete substitute for hands-on experience, the internet has opened new avenues for learning. Forums, online tutorials, and even virtual masterclasses have made knowledge more widely available than ever before. During the Covid lockdowns, professional restorer Iris Carr has created a few instructional videos on specific projects, which one can purchase online, watch and follow. They are not meant for beginners however and there is no Q&A possible like with an in-person demonstration in a classroom.

Lutherie remains a tactile, physically demanding craft. No video can replicate the feel of the gouge, the nuance of grain, or the judgment needed for a tonal adjustment. Digital learning is a useful supplement—but it cannot replace the workshop.

What’s at Stake

The loss of accessible, formal pathways into violin making doesn’t just affect would-be craftspeople. It puts strain on the entire musical ecosystem. Without new makers and restorers, the availability and quality of playable instruments will decline. As older professionals retire and their skills aren’t passed on to the younger generation, businesses close and scarcity will cause prices to rise, travel distances to access the right services for your instrument will increase and eventually expertise will extinguish. Repairs may be delayed. And for many musicians—especially young learners—access to a good instrument may become out of reach.

We must ensure that alternative training routes are not only available but supported. That means investment, recognition of heritage crafts in policy, and greater collaboration between the music and craft sectors. The other side of it is that we need government to recognise that access to heritage craft education is a duty to stay accessible. Students wanting to dedicate their lives to keeping heritage crafts alive, need to be able to enter the country to study them. In the last decade, Visa restrictions from UK Border Control saw international student applications for Newark diminish and struggle to access the tuition they so desperately need to keep culture alive. It is not just our national pride, it is our collective national identity. Once lost it is not easily regained.

A Call to Protect and Promote the Craft

If you are a teacher, a parent, a musician or a policymaker, consider how you might help. Share information about these career paths. Advocate for funding. Encourage local makers to take on apprentices. And most of all, help keep the value of craft alive in our cultural imagination.

Because making music doesn’t start with a bow on a string. It starts with someone, somewhere, learning to carve a scroll.