A man wearing glasses, a dark t-shirt, and a denim apron working on a wooden instrument in a workshop. Several violins are hanging on the wall behind him. There is a large window to his right with a desk lamp illuminating his workspace.

Stefan Valcuha

One of the finest craftsmen of his generation, Štefan Valčuha has maintained and restored many of the most important examples by Stradivari, Guarneri, Bergonzi, G.B. Guadagnini, and countless others. His clientele includes Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang,

Kyung-Wha Chung, Pamela Frank, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Pinchas Zukerman in addition to musicians from most of the world’s major orchestras. Instruments from several prominent institutions and collections have also been entrusted to him for his expertise.

Born in Bratislava, Slovakia, Štefan trained in Mirecourt, France and further developed his restoration skills while working in the workshop of Jean-Christophe Graff in Strasbourg. He moved to New York City in 1997 to work with René Morel, where he spent 11 years under his direction. In 2008, Štefan established his own workshop in collaboration with Mr. Morel and continued this relationship until his passing in 2011.

Now dividing his time between new instrument building and restoration, Štefan’s unique access to the finest 18th century masterpieces have profoundly informed his making. His violins, violas, and celli are occasionally available at Colin Maki, Inc. as well as by commission. Owners of Valčuha violins also enjoy access to regular maintenance and sound adjustment from Štefan.