The BVMA is running this extremely popular bow course again in January 2025 with Jutta Walcher and Tim Baker.

Cost £750 - £800.

£100 deposit to secure your place with the balance payable by 31/10/24.

Pack up your tools, bring as many bows as you can for re-hairing plus some bows you would like to repair and be part of this incredible week of immersion in all things bow related.

Limited number of places available so book soon to avoid disappointment

This general violin/bow making course with Mark Robinson, Kai Thomas-Roth, Derek Wilson and Tim Baker is for anyone looking to work with others on joint instruments and your own projects.

There are 16 places available for this exciting course. Cost for the workshop is

£650 - £750 with a £100 deposit and the rest payable by 31/12/24.

Pack up your tools and projects and find a bench waiting for you at Westhope College https://www.westhope.org.uk/index.html to collaborate with and learn from other talented makers.

Booking instructions will be sent via e-mail to members on September 30th 2025. We anticipate this course will be quite popular so don’t worry if you aren’t successful this time, there will be a similar course at Halsway in October 2025.

The BVMA is delighted to offer members the opportunity to book this course with the world-renowned Iris Carr. Iris is a violin restorer specialising in major restorations of violins, violas and cellos and her Retouching Course covers all aspects of restoration, from completed woodwork to finishing the varnish, including the treatment and staining of wood, filling cracks and joints, creating texture, retouching and patina.

Bring your own restorations however big and daunting!

There are 7 places available for this transformative course. Cost £1100 to

£1150 with a £100 deposit payable by 31/12/24 this includes all meals and accommodation.

We are looking forward to seeing you at Westhope College

https://www.westhope.org.uk/index.html.

BVMA members will receive e-mails with the link for booking September 19th at 8pm BST

16th - 21st March 2025, Westhope College, Shropshire

The third edition of our set-up course is for violin makers at the beginning of their careers. We will concentrate on the set-up of a violin, particularly the soundpost and bridge. Andrew Fairfax and Kathrin Hügel will talk you through every step before applying the theory in practice. At the end of the week, participants will leave with a step-by-step plan on how to make a bridge and sound post.

Due to popular demand, the BVMA have teamed up with varnish expert Pierre Flavetta to offer members the incredible opportunity to further their varnishing skills with this exciting course.

You’ll learn about varnish theory, the history of varnishes and recent discoveries plus all about colourants and any other aspect of the history of varnishes you can imagine!

Limited number of places available, the course will be open up July 18th at 7pm BST. Book soon to avoid disappointment.

Do you have a restoration project that has been hanging around your workshop for a while and you still haven’t got round to it? Are you restoring an instrument or bow but feel that you would benefit from guidance? Then this is the course for you!

With world class tutors, this is our highest level of professional development course. We have booked the whole Manor for 12 days, which will be our longest course ever, but if you can’t escape for this long then there is an option to come for just half of the time.

The third edition of our set-up course at Halsway Manor in Somerset, for violin makers at the beginning of their career.

During the week at Halsway we will concentrate on the set-up of a violin, particularly the sound-post and bridge.

Tutors Andrew Fairfax and Kathrin Hügel will talk through every single step before applying the theory in practice with practical demonstrations.

SOLD OUT

Jutta Walcher will be joining Tim Baker for this January course at Halsway Manor. This course is aimed at those who already have good hand skills and would like to be able to do more work on bows.

With many bow rehairers now retiring, there is a serious shortage of people able to work on bows, creating a great opportunity.

SOLD OUT

This course is aimed at those who already have good violin making skills and would like to be able learn or improve upon their varnishing skills. A very successful method of varnishing and also antiquing will be taught by Antoine Nédléc, Executive Director of the Chicago School of Violin Making, and Jeff Phillips, Associate Director of the same school. Uncounted competition winners, including of course both of them, have used the varnish method they teach and they have taught it at Oberlin for years too.

BVMA Instrument and Bow making workshop October 8th-20th 2023 Halsway Manor.

Click HERE to sign up now!

If you are a violin or bow maker looking to work with others and complete your own project, the BVMA are excited to offer you the opportunity to attend this workshop.

Cost for 12 day workshop between £700 - £950 which includes all food and accommodation.

Pack up your tools and project(s) and find a bench waiting for you at Halsway Manor www.halswaymanor.org.uk/your-visit/location/ for an incredible twelve days of immersion in all things violin related.

Limited number of places available so book soon to avoid disappointment. Too much fun to miss!

We look forward to seeing you there.

Sold Out!

BVMA Course: Set up 25th – 30th June 2023, Halsway Manor

The second edition of our set-up course in Halsway, for violin makers at the beginning of their

career. During the week in Halsway we will concentrate on the set-up of a violin, especially the

sound-post and bridge, as these are the most crucial elements. Andrew Fairfax and Kathrin Hügel

will talk you through every single step before applying the theory in practice.

This course is primarily aimed at those with some experience and who enjoy learning through watching and chatting in a workshop situation. There will be a maximum of 9 places.

There will be no teachers as such, but rather a small group who will be working on their own work and helping participants as well.

This course is designated for our more experienced members and will be taught by Damien Sainmont and Catherine Janssens. Participants will bring their own set-up instruments, which will then be assessed. Instruments will be looked at from different aspects, such as architecture of each individual instrument, resonances and their impact on the instrument’s parts, as well as comfort of playing.

For 2022 the BVMAs main course will be very similar to our previous courses at West Dean, with the

same tutors as 3 years ago.

The course starts on Sunday at 4pm with the practical element finishing before lunch on Saturday.

This is followed by a 1 1/2 day BVMA conference on wood and sound, a concert and party.