Five centuries after Andrea Amati produced the world’s first violin in Cremona, the art of luthiery and its connections with the world of music, as it is both studied and played, represent a widespread fabric that characterizes the city’s culture and is the only one of its kind in the world. Along with the luthiery workshops scattered throughout the city's streets that keep the tradition alive through daily practice, there is a dense network of institutions and events that help keep traditional Cremonese luthiery expertise alive and kicking and span three distinct but strongly interconnected fields, namely luthiery training, research and music.
Luthiery Training
Luthiery training is available from various institutions in Cremona where you can learn the art of making bowed stringed instruments, take specialist master’s and continuing education courses and participate in competitions.
Music
Music permeates the life of this city; it is played in the theatres and in the spectacular auditorium of the Museo del Violino; it is studied at the conservatory; it is perfected on the courses offered by the Stauffer Academy,and musical themes and characteristics are explored in depth on degree courses in musicology and sound engineering.
Research
The scientific laboratories in Cremona undertake research into the materials and vibroacoustic behaviour of instruments from the past in order to scientifically understand their behaviour. Modern bowed stringed instruments are, in fact, the result of technical development based on the practical experiences of generations of luthiers with the aim of improving acoustic projection and sound quality. Nowadays, we have centres that investigate all aspects of the sound production of bowed stringed instruments by collecting huge and varied amounts of information and analyzing it in its entirety. This is also the case in Cremona.
Enterprise
There’s no survival without a market, meaning that commercial factors also play a key role in safeguarding traditional Cremonese luthiery expertise. Network institutions supporting local luthiers include the Chamber of Commerce, CremonaFiere and trade associations.