Vittore Giardinieri with his 400th violin.

This article is to honor and thank a man who for most of his life focused on making quality hand made instruments for those who could not really afford them. A grown man, who would never forget when he was a boy and could not afford a violin, He set out to make one for himself. He made his first violin in his lap with a few tools from Sears Roebuck Co., and went on to make 405 violins, violas and cellos.Among his completed instruments, are 108 celli.

Growing up in the mountains of the Pacific North West almost all his spruce, maple, willow and mountain mahogany were from trees he found, cut, hauled, milled and air dried himself. His ebony he bought in lumber form. He made everything for his instruments, including the purfling, fingerboards, pegs, end pins, tail pieces and chin rests. I have never known a violinmaker or read of a maker anywhere who was so prolific and worked from the tree to the finished product.

We want to welcome Vittore Giardinieri as an honorary member of the Pacific Association of Violin Makers. He will be 94 years on July 1.

Giardinieri’s talent was discovered by Hans Weisshaar, a noteable master maker and restorer. A fire broke out in the University of Oregon and the instruments were taken from the Music Dept. and laid on the lawn until the all clear was sounded. During this time, as Weisshaar waited outside with everyone else, he spotted a viola and was impressed by the bold artistic carving and did not recognize the name Victor Gardener. Weisshaar took some time and located Gardener in the mountains of southern Oregon and for the next several years he would invite him to come and visit his shop and home in California and there he would teach him. Weisshaar had worked with Simone Sacconi for Wurlitser in New York. It was finally Weisshaar and Sacconi who talked Gardener into using his Italian name Vittore E. Giardinieri.

Weisshaar and Giardinieri became good friends and corresponded for many years about making and the art of carving. Giardinieri would not forget the help that Weisshaar gave him. He would return that help by getting ten apprentices started, many of them becoming award winning makers and enjoying successful careers.

I am sure that we all want to thank you and wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Your apprentices, and PAVM.

Michael Klein