MARCO OSIO, CREMONA (ITALY) – The String Circle

Marco Osio is an internationally renowned violin maker, born on 22 December 1976 in Manerbio, Italy. He began his training at the International Violinmaking School in Cremona in 1990, graduating in 1994 under the guidance of master Giorgio Scolari. During his training, he had the opportunity to work with master GioBatta Morassi and his son Simeone, who taught him the techniques and style of contemporary Cremonese violinmaking.

Marco makes violins, violas and cellos inspired by classical Cremonese and Italian models. His varnishes, based on alcohol and orange-brown oil with a golden yellow undertone, are the result of personal research.

He opened his own atelier in Cremona in 2000.

Over the years, Marco has taken part in many violinmaking competitions at international level, obtaining various prizes and awards, including, first prize with a violin and second prize with a viola at the national competition in Baveno in 2001, four times Mention of Honour at the Triennaledi Cremona competition (2003, 2006, 2012, 2021), special prize for the best violin maker under 30 at the Metelka competition in the Czech Republic, second place and special prize for the best work with a viola at the 2007 Moscow Tchaikowsky competition, second prize at the 2009 European Eufonia competition with a viola, first prize and special prize for the best work with a violin at the Arvenzis Violin Competition in Slovakia and first prize with a viola at the 2017 Malta International Competition.

In 2012-13 and 2014-15, he was a lecturer, together with Maestro Luca Primon, in construction and acoustic tuning of string instruments in the master’s course held in Cremona. In 2013 and 2018, he was a member of the jury of the international ‘Violin Arvenzis’ competition in Slovakia.

He is currently a member of the Associazione Liutaria Italiana.

His instruments are played all over the world, especially in China, Japan, Taiwan and the United States.

VIOLIN

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Model: Giuseppe Ornati 1929 (customised)
Year of manufacture: 2011

Body lenght: 355,5 mm
Upper width: 169 mm
Width cc: 114.5 mm
Lower width: 210 mm
diapason: 195 mm

Wood: Back (in one piece), sides and head in Balkan maple with medium-narrow irregular marbling. Top in Italian spruce with medium-wide grain.
Orange-red alcohol varnish with a golden yellow undertone.

Notes: the violin has been played by a professional musician until 2021

AWARDS

2021 | Honourable mention at Concorso Triennale Internazionale di Liuteria “Antonio Stradivari” di Cremona

2017 | First Prize with a viola at the Malta International Competition (viola)

2017 | First Prize and Special Prize for the best work at the “Violino Arvenzis” competition in Slovakia (violin)

2012 | Honourable mention at Concorso Triennale Internazionale di Liuteria “Antonio Stradivari” di Cremona

2009 | Second prize at the Eufonia European Competition (viola)

2007 | Second place and special prize for best work at the Moscow Tchaikowsky Competition (viola)

2007 | Special prize for best luthier under 30 at the Metelka Competition in the Czech Republic

2006 | Honourable mention at Concorso Triennale Internazionale di Liuteria “Antonio Stradivari” di Cremona

2003 | Honourable mention at Concorso Triennale Internazionale di Liuteria “Antonio Stradivari” di Cremona

2001 | First prize (violin) and second prize (viola) at the Baveno National Competition

It is well known that a large viola has a darker and deeper sounding timbre, which is due to a longer vibrating string length and a greater air volume in the case. [...] This being said, one can see the difficulties that Osio had to overcome both in order to meet the requirements of those who commissioned the viola from him and in order to participate in a competition in which, obviously, larger viols would have had a better chance of winning. In this regard, Osio remarks: 'This time my mission was to make a small viola and enter it in a violin making competition because the customer had asked me to do so [...] Achieving such a goal demonstrates how violin making, when done by great masters, achieves results of great value, a sign of great vitality and intelligence. Marco Osio is a master who knows how to combine 'craft' with 'art', because he combines his skills and abilities with the ability to give his instruments a unique and unrepeatable mark, a sign of his personality as a violin maker.

Osio opened his own workshop in Cremona in 2000, at the age of 24, working alongside Luca Bellini. The prizes began to pour in, with particular commendations for the sound quality of his instruments.

MARCO OSIO’S ATELIER

via Bardellona 9, Cremona (Italy)

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