I’ve been fascinated with violins since I was young. I started playing the violin when I was four. Soon after, I would read in the various print media at the time about who was playing what instrument and I followed the auctions by the time I was a young teenager. I was lucky when I met a violin dealer when I was 14 who let me play on his 1703 Stradivari. He was kind enough to loan me a beautiful Nicolo Gagliano violin for my solo debut when I was 17. These experiences were transformative for me, and I became instantly obsessed with the old Italian masterpieces.
I find something to love about almost every great instrument I meet, because they tell a story about the person that made it, and what life might have been like for them. You see the way they think about their work, what they deem important and what they're willing to dismiss. You see whether they were obsessed with detail or if they cared about some things more than others. After a while, it starts to feel like you almost know these makers and what their lives might have been like. I have been very fortunate in my career to have worked with some of the most influential dealers in the world, starting with René A. Morel, who was the architect of the sound I grew up listening to.
