International Lutherie Competition 2026: Celebrating Artisan Excellence and the Spirit of Transmission

Scheduled to coincide with the 12th String Quartet Biennial (10 to 18 January 2026), this event follows in the tradition of other major international lutherie competitions.

This third edition, dedicated to the viola, is already considered an essential event for luthiers from all around the world (70 participants in 2024 from 20 countries) and for lutherie schools (8 participants in 2024 from 5 countries), as well as for discerning professionals and a wider public of music lovers drawn to this unique event (about 400 spectators each year).

The competition aims to foster fruitful dialogue between instrument making, live music and heritage. It plays an active role in promoting and passing on these skills, while also striving to spark public interest in prestige lutherie, to promote this craft as an art form, and to highlight contemporary creativity. The competition offers a special opportunity to encourage innovation and excellence in lutherie, to strengthen the community of luthiers and lutherie schools by bringing them under one roof to share ideas and techniques. It is also an occasion to raise public awareness of the artistry and complexity involved in crafting string instruments.

Download the press kit:

2025-11_DP_International lutherie competition 2026_ENG.pdf

Download PDF • 2.90MB

Press kit summary:

• Competition Schedule

• Two categories of participants

• The Stauffer viola by Girolamo Amati

• A jury of international experts

• Prizes & Awards

• Competition Organisers

• A privileged collaboration with the Orchestre de Paris

• Competition Sponsors

• Previous Editions

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Talents & Violon’celles: Ensuring Every Talented Musician Can Play an Instrument Equal to Their Potential

Based on the observation that acquiring a quality instrument can be an inaccessible investment for a musician, the Talents & Violon’celles endowment fund supports talent by loaning instruments that allow them to fully develop their potential: pursuing studies under the best conditions, passing international competitions, and launching or developing a career.

Through its actions, Talents & Violon’celles highlights instrumental and musical heritage and builds a collection of instruments representing the excellence of lutherie. Thanks to the support of private and institutional patrons, Talents & Violon’celles currently manages a fleet of over 120 string instruments (violins, violas, and cellos), including 36 commissioned by the fund, with 6 more currently being crafted—including some Baroque-era instruments like the tenor viol, bass violin, bass viol, and treble viol. The project’s originality lies in its three converging ambitions: heritage, social, and cultural, which, shared between talented musicians, craftspeople, and donors, are a source of excellence.