Florian Leonhard Fine Violins

The past two weeks have been a tale of 3 Florian’s. Firstly we were very happy to welcome Florian Leonhard. Florian very generously took time away from his famous London workshop schedule, to present an all encompassing talk to the students. Not only did we receive a fascinating insight to the violin world from a very personal angle, but we were treated to a spread of stunning historically significant instruments that brought the lecture to life even more. A gorgeous mid golden period Stradivari, a humbling Guarneri del Gesu from the late 1730’s, and to make the point that Cremona was hot but not the only spot, we had a glorious Peter Guarneri of Venice from the early 1720’s to link the timeline. Our 3rd year tutor John Wright @jfwrightluthier was graciously allowed to demonstrate the sound of each instrument to the students and help illustrate the conversation of the vastly different arch shapes and how they might impact the tonal qualities. The set was also completed by a Stradivari model violin fresh from Florian’s own workshop and I think all in attendance were impressed by how it compared to the old masters on show with it. Next up, our second year students had the gift of Florian Bailey’s time to illuminate more, the world of bows on our course. This generous guest lecture, from one of the UK’s top bow restorers, brings a perfect compliment of something different yet extremely relevant, to our 2nd years who often start to consider what avenue of the profession they may journey along. Last but by no means least, we have our very own 2nd year repair and restoration lecturer, Florian Forconi, who celebrated a very special birthday this week. Happy birthday Flo from all the staff and students 🎂. Three very different Florian’s that all bring their unique qualities to the journey of our students. A perfect demonstration of the huge benefits we see from all working together towards a worthy cause. Thanks to all involved for organising and coordinating these essential visits, that undoubtedly punctuate the deep dive of a journey our students take at Newark. #stradivari #delgesu #guarneri #violinmaker #experts #worldclasseducation #teamwork

Thank you all for your comments on the last video! Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume’s passion for bows, innovative ideas, and the vast output of bows from his Paris workshop make his impact on 19th-century French bowmaking impossible to overstate. Recognizing the bow’s crucial role in both violin tone and the musician’s playing style, Vuillaume maintained long collaborations with many of the greatest French bowmakers, most of them from Mirecourt. Source: Bernard Millant & Jean-François Raffin, L’Archet: The French Bowmakers #florianleonhardfineviolins #vuillaume #bowmakers

Some of the greatest and most celebrated bow makers share a common thread. Do you know what links them? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned for the reveal! #florianleonhardfineviolins #violin #viola #cello #bowmakers

Last Friday, we held our official launch event at @florianleonhard . It was a great opportunity to bring together some of the UK’s leading musical minds, and resulted in an uplifting evening of performance and debate. One thing’s for sure - Zenezen is not alone in striving for positive change. We were particularly happy to announce a formal partnership with @telekombeethovencompetition , which will see us mentor their brilliant 2025 1st Prizewinner, @seth.schultheis , for the next 12 months. Partnerships and collaborations will be central to Zenezen’s activities, and we look forward to sharing more in the months ahead. We also announced our Young Ambassador programme, and two of our first cohort - @leviandreassen and @sonyapianist both played beautifully. Although the majority of our work is online, live events - where one really feels a true sense of community - are really important to us. We’ll be planning some more social gatherings later this year - so keep your eyes peeled! Huge thanks to FLFV for hosting us so generously, and to everyone else who supported our event. ❤️ #classicalmusicians #musicteacher #musicindustry

重量级评审阵容齐聚香港——东方之珠，第六届香港国际青年音乐家大赛诚邀各界顶尖专家，共同见证并评选优秀年轻音乐人才的卓越表现。 A prestigious panel of judges gathers in Hong Kong—Pearl of the Orient—for the 6th Hong Kong International Youth Musician Contest, inviting top experts from various fields to witness and evaluate the outstanding performances of exceptional young musical talents.

Huge congratulations to the extraordinary 14-year-old JungA Kim on being awarded First Prize at this week’s @classic_cello_competition in London.👏 JungA was also awarded the Florian Leonhard Fellowship Prize — a two-year loan of a fine 18th-century Italian cello. We are absolutely delighted that this remarkable instrument will be part of Jung A’s exciting journey ahead. #florianleonhardfineviolins #florianleonhardfellowship #cello

Thank you all for your guesses — this one wasn’t easy! The trio of instruments are by Luigi Marconcini of Ferrara, and it’s a rare treat to see three of his instruments side by side and closely observe recurring features in his craftsmanship. 🎻 #florianleonhardfineviolins #violin #viola

Three siblings by the same maker🎻 Can you guess who made them? Leave your guess below and stay tuned for the reveal! #florianleonhardfineviolins #violins #violas

It was a pleasure to host a scintillating concert last night with the extraordinary Julian Kainrath and Emanuil Ivanov. 🎻✨ Julian, winner of the Ysaÿe International Competition, performs on a magnificent Bergonzi violin on loan through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship. He was joined by the brilliant pianist Emanuil Ivanov, winner of the Busoni Piano Competition, in a programme of sonatas by Mendelssohn, Beethoven, and Franck. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special evening. @ysayeofficial @julian.kainrath @emanuil__ivanov #florianleonhardfineviolins #YsaÿeCompetition #FlorianLeonhardFellowship

🎻 Apply to Join Our Restoration Workshop in London Florian Leonhard Fine Violins invites applications to join our London restoration team. We look forward to welcoming a skilled luthier who shares our love of instruments and commitment to the highest standards of craftsmanship and restoration. Salary commensurate with experience. To apply, please send your CV to [email protected] by 1 May 2026. #florianleonhardfineviolins #flfv #violins

Earlier this month, we had the joy of collaborating with St. André and the New York Philharmonic for a spectacular evening of music. NY Phil musicians @muyan_yang and @tabby_rhee delivered brilliant, beautifully nuanced performances on historic instruments from our collection - a truly special experience for everyone in the room. A heartfelt thank you to @st.andreteam and @nyphilharmonic for an unforgettable night. 📸: Fadi Kheir #florianleonhardfineviolins #standré #nyphilharmonic #violin

Thank you all for your astute observations! This exquisite Maggini model by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume is so masterfully executed that it could easily be mistaken for a fine old Italian violin.✨🎻 #florianleonhardfineviolins #vuillaume #violin