Julia Griffin Consort: An Exceptional Donation to Revive Renaissance Chamber Music
The endowment fund Talents & Violon’celles is delighted to announce the launch of a major project: the custom crafting of a consort of six violas da gamba and their period-model bows. This exceptional initiative is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Sallie Saliba, in memory of her sister, the violist Julia Griffin, who passed away in February 2024.
In Memory of Julia Griffin
Originally trained as a cellist before devoting herself passionately to the viola da gamba, Julia Griffin left a profound mark on the early music community. American-born, she made France her home and artistic sanctuary, notably teaching at the Issy-les-Moulineaux conservatory. An intrepid, warm, and radiant personality, she regularly organized chamber music gatherings and workshops in her Paris home, bringing musicians together across the floors of her small house to share the pure joy of consort playing.
To honor her memory in a lasting way and foster the consort practice she cherished so deeply, her sister Sallie chose to dedicate Julia’s legacy to the creation of a complete set of instruments. These will be entrusted to talented musicians through Talents & Violon’celles.
A Tribute from Sallie Saliba, Julia’s Sister:
« I am very grateful that the idea for the creation of a consort in my sister’s name was born and presented to me as a way to honor her and keep her memory alive. It is the perfect way to honor my sister’s love of early music and her devotion to fostering the love of that music, and of the viola da gamba in particular, in the many students she had over the years, both at the conservatory where she worked for many years and in private lessons. I always knew what a great teacher she was, but it became apparent to me after her death by the outpouring of love for her how much she had meant to those students and what an influence she was in their development. It is a great privilege for me to provide the funds for the creation of a consort in her name, so that her contribution can continue to be felt and appreciated in the early music community. It also means a great deal to me that dear friends of hers, whom I count as my friends as well, will be making the instruments. The beautiful music that these instruments will make in the coming years will be a fitting tribute to my sister Julie, who made beautiful music of her own, both with her viola da gambas and in the way she lived her life. »
A Collaborative Eight-Handed Journey
As Julia Griffin’s long-standing luthier and a leading figure in French viol making, Judith Kraft was naturally the first person Sallie turned to.
Faced with the scale and specific demands of such an undertaking, Judith Kraft reached out to Talents & Violon’celles to oversee the overall management and organizational support of the project. To bring this ensemble to life, she envisioned a shared human and artistic adventure with colleagues and close friends who were also dear to Julia:
Lutherie: Two pairs of luthiers (Judith Kraft with Mathieu Pradels, and Claire Ryder with Pascal Rüegger) are working in close collaboration. Inspired by 17th-century English models that Julia particularly loved (notably Henry Jaye, John Rose, and John Hoskin), they will source their wood together in the Jura to ensure structural harmony (spruce soundboards, bird’s eye maple backs—a wood species Julia held dear—and plain gut strings across all instruments).
Bow making: The six bows will be crafted by bow makers Claire Berget, Anaïs Farge, Marion Middenway, and Olivier T. Ryder.
A Statement from Judith Kraft:
« Julia had a true spirit of adventure and a contagious generosity. She was a unifier: not a week goes by without me running into someone who says, 'It’s thanks to Julia that I started playing the viol.' When Sallie wanted to make a meaningful gesture in her memory, creating a consort became the obvious choice. Crafting a consort means designing a sound polyptych: the instruments must converse naturally with one another, achieving aesthetic coherence and a balanced blend of timbres. We chose to build this project with luthiers and bow makers who were all part of Julia’s inner circle. We are sourcing the wood together, harmonizing the lines and varnishes... There will be a piece of her energy in every single one of these instruments. »
Consort Music: The Art of Pure Listening
Particularly popular during the Renaissance and Baroque eras, consort music brings together a complete family of instruments of varying sizes (from treble to great bass). Unlike an orchestra or a solo performance with accompaniment, a consort relies on pure polyphony where every voice holds equal weight. It is a demanding art of balance, blending timbres, and mutual listening—a philosophy of collective playing that perfectly embodied Julia Griffin’s musical vision.
Target 2029: Transmission and Creation
The six instruments, engraved with the name “Consort Julia Griffin,” will be delivered by 2029. Their construction will be featured regularly across our social media channels, documented in a feature film following the workshop process, and will culminate in an inaugural concert in Paris celebrating the premier performance of this magnificent ensemble.
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