Several of our students are all too familiar with the troubles of broken strings and instrument malfunctions. This season, we’re going to help solve them: with our very own in-house luthier.
Laura Wallace, of Wallace Violins, grew up as the daughter of a woodworker, watching the transformation of tree by hand and tool. She began playing the violin as a child and developed a deep love not only for the music, but also for the instrument itself. It was a natural fit to combine her love of woodworking and music by pursuing a career in violin making. After a brief detour earning a biology degree at the University of Victoria, she met Kim Tipper, a restorer and maker of violins renowned for his impeccable set-up and attention to detail. Laura became his full-time apprentice in 2006 and studied with Kim in all areas of violin repair, restoration, and bow rehairing. A few years into the apprenticeship, Laura began building her first violin. Now, she divides her time between restoring old violins and building new ones. She is inspired by the natural beauty outside her shop where she lives at the edge of the wilderness on the Sunshine Coast of BC.
Laura will be available daily around lunchtime at PRISMA for consultations, complementary adjustments, and advice for instrument setup. Additionally, she will be doing instrument repairs and bow rehairing, and will offer students a 15% discount on new strings.
We are thrilled to have Laura join our ranks as a music lover and instrument devotee. For Laura, “violins are the most beautiful tools in the world — and they are tools — that happen to produce some of the most beautiful, heartbreaking music.” Learn more about Laura and what she’s working on at wallaceviolins.ca.