Violin Maker
Marco Maria Gastaldi

Maker Background

Marco Maria Gastaldi was born in Cuneo in 1969. He trained at the Civica Scuola di Liuteria in Milan, where he graduated under the guidance of master luthiers Luca Primon for violin making and Gabriele Negri for restoration.

In 1991 he established his own workshop in Cremona, where he began developing his professional career. In these early years, he focused on refining his construction techniques, experimenting with varnish, selecting high-quality tonewoods, and deepening his research into acoustics and aesthetic design through the study of classical Cremonese models.

Between 1994 and 1996, he expanded his expertise by attending a bow-making course in Cremona, carried out by renowned masters Giovanni Lucchi, Gennaro Santi, and Daniel Navea Vera.

Over the years his work soon gained international recognition. In 2000, his viola was selected for exhibition at the IX Triennial of String Instruments “Antonio Stradivari” in Cremona. In the same year, he was awarded a Certificate of Merit for violin workmanship at the 14th International Competition of the Violin Society of America in Cincinnati.

Alongside his work as a maker, his also studied the cello as a musician and this has played an important role in shaping his approach to instrument making, particularly in setup and tonal refinement. His instruments are appreciated by musicians in Italy and abroad for their quality, responsiveness, and acoustic balance.

Since 2023, he has been based in Bologna, where he continues his work as a violin maker.