2026 International Lutherie Competition: a look back at a project made possible by patrons
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Thanks to the support of 138 donors during the ‘Luthiers of Tomorrow 2025’ campaign, the Museum of Music has been able to acquire the viola that won the ‘Talents of Tomorrow’ category at the 2026 International Lutherie Competition. A look back at the special events organised in June to thank the patrons and introduce them to the two instruments they helped bring into the Music Museum’s facsimile collections.
Patronage in support of the talents of tomorrow
Held in conjunction with the String Quartet Biennale, the International Lutherie Competition is a joint production of the Musée de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris and the Talents & Violon’celles Endowment Fund. In keeping with the tradition of the world’s major competitions, it provides a unique platform celebrating excellence in the art of violin-making whilst promoting the passing on of traditional skills.
For its third edition, held in January 2026, the International Lutherie Competition focused on the viola. Entrants in the ‘Talents of Tomorrow’ category were invited to create a replica of the exceptional viola known as the ‘Stauffer’, made by Girolamo Amati in Cremona in 1615 and housed at the Museo del Violino in Cremona. Thanks to the generosity of donors, nearly €17,000 was raised during the crowdfunding campaign organised in autumn 2025. This fundraising effort enabled the Musée de la Musique to acquire the winning instrument, as well as contributing to the organisation of the competition.
The award-winning viola thus joins the Museum of Music’s collection of facsimiles of famous instruments. Like the previous winners from the 2022 and 2024 competitions, it may be loaned out and played at educational or public events, thereby ensuring the passing on of this exceptional craftsmanship and offering lasting recognition to the young award-winning instrument makers.
Behind the scenes of excellence in lutherie
On 2 June, donors to the campaign were invited to discover, during a special tour of the Talents & Violon’celles workshop, the viola that had won second prize in the ‘Talents of Tomorrow’ category of the competition. This instrument has now been added to our collection, where it will be made available to talented musicians.
On this occasion, the luthier Timothée Launay, who trained at the Gauthier Louppe International School of Violin Making (under Gauthier Louppe and Ludovic Serafini) and subsequently at the Sabatier workshop (under Bernard Sabatier and Martin Lory), outlined the various stages involved in crafting an instrument and explained the technical and artistic requirements necessary for producing a high-quality replica. This gave participants a better understanding of the meticulous work carried out by the young luthiers taking part in the competition.
In what was a particularly eagerly anticipated moment of the evening, violist Maurice Théron played the award-winning viola crafted by five students from the École nationale de lutherie de Mirecourt: Fanney Comte, Nino Dupierris, Ondine Gentaud, Matthias Hardy, Claire Szymczak and Thomas Vibert. His performance of the Prelude and Allemande from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Third Suite for Solo Cello, followed by Elliott Carter’s Figment IV, allowed the guests to fully appreciate the instrument’s tonal qualities.
The discussions then continued over drinks in a friendly atmosphere, giving participants the opportunity to learn more about the craft of violin-making.
A lecture-concert at the heart of contemporary lutherie
On 9 June, patrons were invited to a second exclusive event at the Musée de la Musique, led by Jean-Philippe Echard, curator of bowed and plucked string instruments.
Through a guided tour of the collections, he highlighted the role of the Museum of Music in the conservation, study and transmission of instrumental heritage. The tour also provided an opportunity to explore several themes relating to developments in instrument-making, notably the reuse of materials, the evolution of instruments over the centuries, and the search for new resources to address contemporary environmental challenges.
The tour concluded with a look at a particularly innovative recent acquisition: an electric guitar made from alternative materials, notably plant-based resources, reflecting current thinking on more sustainable instrument-making.
The participants, who were very interested in these issues, then enjoyed a musical performance featuring violist Robin Kirklar and violinist Mary Salvat. For the occasion, Robin Kirklar performed several pieces on the first-prize viola from the ‘Talents of Tomorrow’ category, acquired by the Musée de la Musique thanks to the ‘Luthiers of Tomorrow 2025’ campaign and collectively crafted by Sarah Chauvet, Simon Florent, Anne-Cécile Guezel, Noé Petiot, Sacha Procacci and Zi Hui Wong, students at the École nationale de lutherie de Mirecourt.
The programme featured works by Ligeti, Hersant, Mozart and Tolomeo, showcasing the full expressive richness of this instrument, which has recently been added to the Music Museum’s collection of facsimiles.
Thank you for your commitment
The success of the 2026 edition relies largely on the support of its donors, as well as on sponsorship from the Belle Main Foundation and Alpentonholz Pahler. Thanks to your support, an exceptional new instrument has today been added to the Talents & Violon’celles instrument collection, and another to the facsimile collection at the Musée de la Musique. They will continue to be played by musicians at concerts, educational events and outreach projects.
We would like to express our sincere thanks for your trust and commitment to the Musée de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris and Talents & Violon’celles.
See you in 2028 for the next edition of the International Lutherie Competition, which will be dedicated to the violin!
Let’s work together to give a voice to the talents of tomorrow
Your generosity is the driving force behind our work: it enables us to ensure that talented musicians always have access to the instruments and experiences they deserve. Every donation, whatever the amount, helps us to shape the future of music and entitles you to a tax relief.
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