A Viola by Antonio Capela

Antonio Capela was born in 1932 in Anta, Portugal, as the eldest son of Domingo Capela, a world-renowned violin maker and repairer. Antonio began his studies with his father, but in 1961, he was granted a scholarship to work under the well-known French luthier Etienne Vatelot. After a four-month stay in Mirecourt, he studied at the International School of Violin Making in Cremona under the guidance of Pietro Sgarabotto and Simone Fernando Sacconi from 1964 to 1965. His violins won first prize in Cremona in 1965 and 1969, and in 1972 in Poznań, Poland.

His perspective on ideas and craftsmanship has been broadened by his frequent contact with craftsmen in other countries. He has served as a judge for many international competitions and has been invited as a guest of honor to nations such as Japan and Russia. Inheriting his talent and training from his father, he continues the tradition by teaching his son Joaquim, further strengthening the deeply rooted instrument-making tradition initiated by his father.

Antonio’s message about violin making: "For me, it was a pleasure and a challenge to make a copy of the 'Hellier' Stradivari violin, especially for two reasons: only a few violin makers have done it, and the model itself touches me with its beauty and aesthetic expression."