Matthijs STRICK
The calm ambiance, the smell of wood and varnish, and the array of tools on the walls and benches, all attracted Matthijs Strick (°1991) (successor of his father, Jan Strick). When he was 14 Matthijs tried his hand at violin making, and he went more often with Jan to fairs and auctions abroad. Matthijs received basic training in the family workshop, starting, like every apprentice, with making his own knives, while Jan introduced him to the purest form of French violin making. When Matthijs was ready, Jan sent him to perfect his craft as an apprentice to the best masters in Europe and the rest of the world. In the course of an apprenticeship that will total some 10 years in all, Matthijs received training from masters Frank Ravatin in France, Klaus Clement in Germany, Fong Young in the USA, Zhen Quan in China, Jérôme Doucet in France and, most importantly, with master Simeoni Morassi of Cremona, Italy. 2019 has marked a new stage in Matthijs’ apprenticeship. Every spare moment away from running the business or selling instruments now goes into the study of the identification of ancient instruments and of the related restoration techniques.
