looking for a violin maker?

Erli Gurra, Maestro Liutaio

The art of Violinmaking is as unique as it is as hard as well. It requires a manual ability in the work of wood. You need to be well aware of acoustic physic, and have good knowledge in music and string instruments too.

By learning this art in "ANTONIO STRADIVARI" school in Cremona, means absorbing it directly from the most famous masters of history like AMANTI, STRADIVARI, or GUARNERI, so my responsibility is at higher level to the respect of these masters.

But this art, hard and unique at the same time, has its own beauty because it is able to fill you with emotions. What I feel when I hear for the first time "voice" of my own creation is impossible to describe. Even when you see it played by famous people in concert stages all over the world.

Well, exactly for all these emotions it gives me, I do my job with a lot of commitment, and I pay a lot of attention to every single detail, so that everyone who plays my instruments can feel the same as I do.

About Me

I was born in 1984, in the capital of Albania, Tirana. The passion for music, and the world of art was injected to me since I was a little child, due to the family tradition. At the age of 3, I took my first violin lessons, then I continued with piano lessons and guitar ones.

But my greatest pleasure, was to visit the laboratory of my father, Rami, a restorer and tuner, who manages to work with all kinds of musical instruments. From all those instruments, violin always attracted my attention. I was too curious to know how it was built, and I was amazed by the way my father restored them.

When I was nearly 10 years old I started my first works, I tried to model the ff of the violin. Then by finishing Qemal Stafa high school, my dream of learning to build string instruments came true. In 2003, I move out to Cremona, to follow violinmaking studies, in the school "ANTONIO STRADIVARI" I.P.I.A.L.L. I have been taught by M°Vanna ZAMBELLI and later with M°Daniele SCOLARI, while for instruments restoration with M° Claudio AMIGHETTI.

During school years, I have been also taught with proffesors like M° DACQUATI, M°BARCELLARI,M°MATVIYCHUK and M°TADIOLI. I graduated in 2007, then I got specialized to the laboratory of master EDGAR E. RUSS.

My work experience in this laboratory has helped me a lot to improve and perfection the art of violinmaking, also paying a lot of attention to the acoustic qualities. The lessons of master EDGAR E. RUSS, would leave footprints in my construction of my personal instruments.

In 2009, I decide to come back to Albania, and from 2010, I own my personal workshop in Tirana, where I built violins, violas, and cellos.

my works or contact me