Pascal GILIS
Pascal Gilis comes from a family of musicians and was quickly drawn to the precision and demands of the luthier’s craft. He trained at the illustrious International School of Violin Making in Cremona, where the traditions of the great Italian masters are still taught.
After returning from Italy and completing several training internships with European luthiers, he settled in Brussels in 1985. He built up his knowledge and practice of all aspects of the craft to master both the restoration and the creation of high-end instruments. He has received distinctions for his instruments in international violin making competitions such as the VSA (Violin Society of America).
His workshop grew and now includes several luthiers, giving him the opportunity and time to set up and manage a production of manufactured and handcrafted instruments that combines his expertise and high standards with the efficiency of specialized workers, as practiced in the tradition of French violin making in Mirecourt. Depending on the desired quality, the instruments (violins, violas, and cellos) are made in his own workshops, in Romania by workers or in Belgium by luthiers. All are varnished in Belgium by a small team led by his brother, Philippe Gilis.
The Meteny workshop in Brussels is open to the public, handling restoration, sales, adjustments, rentals, and the creation of high-end instruments. The Louvain-La-Neuve workshop is private, focusing on varnishing and manufacturing.
Pascal Gilis is now dedicated to producing instruments in larger quantities and various qualities, which requires specific work:
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sourcing suitable wood
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manufacturing methods to control sound, whether in the arches or thicknesses
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training the people working in his workshops
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designing and detailing the aesthetics of the instrument models and varnishes
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collaborating with luthiers and dealers who represent the instruments worldwide.
The aim is to offer musicians from all backgrounds instruments that always provide advantageous and lasting quality at an accessible price. This management requires great practice and good intuition, just as when making an instrument, shaping its acoustics, meticulously assembling its parts, and refining its details to charm the hands of a musician who will bring it to life. Here, the challenge is to define the standards and manufacturing processes that will achieve the desired quality and maintain artisanal know-how.
Contact
+32 2 762 39 27(fixe atelier Meteny)
Avenue De Broqueville 245/13
1200 Bruxelles