Roman Barnas

Roman Barnas was born in Zakopane, Poland. At age 14, he entered the Secondary School of Fine Arts in Zakopane where he learn drawing, painting, sculpture and began making his first violins. After graduating Roman attended the Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan, Poland, where he studied music and violinmaking for five years. He received Master of Fine Arts Diploma graduating with honors. During his school years and also later after graduating he had visited number of famous and best violin making workshops in Europe where he was able to benefit from generosity of their owners and employees who were kind to share their wealth of knowledge with Roman.

Roman came to the U.S. in 1996 to work at Psarianos Violins in Troy, Michigan where he worked for over nine years specializing in violin restoration and set up of violins, violas and cellos. At the same time he continued to make few instruments per year. In addition to his formal education, Roman studied violin making with Boyd Poulsen and violin restoration with Hans Jurgen Nebel  as well as participated in Oberlin Violin Making Workshop which is known for atrracting the best makers from around the world to work together for two weeks of working, learning in wonderful atmosphere of  sharing violin making knowledge and experience. In the past and during his school years he played violin, accordion, and double bass participating in various bands with which he was able to tour most of the Europe and parts of The Middle East.

Roman enjoys playing his own violin right after the completion and just before it is presented for sale. Among his past commissions was a late Nathan Gordon, former Concertmaster of Detroit Symphony Orchestra and great violin and viola virtuoso, who after his retirement decided to give up his ownership of beautiful Gaspar da Salo viola and had commissioned a large viola model made by Roman Barnas to replace his previous instrument.

At the October 2010 Violin Society of America violin making competition, Roman received certificate of merit for tone for his violin.

Visit Roman's website for more information.