The 2018 graduates of Violin Making & Repair (VM) were in fine form for their End of Program Exam, where their work was favorably evaluated by an esteemed panel of examiners. The examiners included Chris Reuning, a maker and internationally renowned expert in violin identification; Ben Ruth, recipient of the Hors Concours from the Violin Society of America; award-winning makers and VM guest lecturers Kevin Kelly VM '92, David Polstein VM '89, and Andrew Ryan; and special guest Samuel Zygmuntowicz, who is "among the most acclaimed makers in the world today."

Do you dream of making musical instruments for a living? Strings Magazine offers advice for those considering violin making school from two established luthiers, including Julia Felix, who attended our Violin Making & Repair program.

Two recent Violin Making & Repair graduates won awards for their work at the biennial Violin Society of America convention—and it was their first time entering a piece. According to Department Head Roman Barnas, "The makers who compete at the VSA represent the highest level of violin making in the world. What Justin and Evan have achieved is unheard of."

NBSS was recently featured in Strings Magazine! Read about one student's path to North Bennet Street School and our Violin Making & Repair program.

The best way to make sure tools do exactly what their users intend is to make them as sharp as possible. NBSS has had a cutting-edge program in Violin Making & Repair for 32 years, but the room's new tool-sharpening station—made possible by a gift from the Cricket Foundation—has brought new meaning to that phrase.

Player feedback must guide making violins, says Roman Barnas, Violin Making & Repair Department Head at NBSS. "If students have a strong playing background," he explains, "they tend to pre-judge instruments in a particular way." Read more about how Roman and the Violin Making & Repair Program were featured in a September 2016 article in The Strad magazine.