Alejandra Bedoya

Gesto, Susi

Luthier

©Chelo Camacho

©Alejandro Quintero

©Chelo Camacho

©Alejandro Quintero

An instrument of resolve

Alejandra is a role model for Colombian women luthiers
She specialises in tailoring her stringed instruments to female ergonomics
Her instruments feature artistic touches thanks to collaborations with visual artists

Alejandra Bedoya’s passion for her craft sparked at age 12 when she first heard a live violin being played. Despite having no family background in music and an initial informal training, her headstrong perseverance led her to join Batuta Juvenile Orchestra in 2000 and Antioquia’s Symphony Orchestra between 2002 and 2004. Unable to pursue formal music studies, she took up woodwork training in 2003 at SENA’s National Wood Centre. Here, Alejandra joined an Arched Instrument Construction Project sponsored by SENA and the Austrian Consulate, blending her love for music and the woodcraft she was starting to master. With determination, she secured a sponsorship to continue her studies at the Antonio Stradivari School of Violin Making in Cremona. This is where Alejandra specialised in acoustic physics and explored restoration, before returning to Colombia in 2014. She opened her own lutherie studio a year later.

Interview

©Alejandro Quintero

©Alejandro Quintero

What was your first contact with a violin?: It was during an anniversary mass I attended when I was twelve. I was so moved by a violin that played during that ceremony, that I sought a school friend who attended violin classes at Fundación Amadeus to teach me the basics on her violin. My parents were able to give me my first instrument for my 15th birthday. I then joined Batuta Juvenile Orchestra, where I met my first professional mentor, Cuban maestro Juan Miguel Hechavarría.
Was there a major turning point along your path?: A series of events steered me away from the musician's path. Just after graduating from school, my violin was stolen, and I was not accepted into a musical studies programme. Feeling uncertain about my future, I enrolled in wood turning classes at the SENA vocational school. Little did I know then how these experiences would shape my journey.
What makes you stand out as a luthier?: My comprehensive approach, balancing science and art. Studying acoustic physics has deepened my appreciation for this craft. I am highly technical in sourcing wood and keen at considering the proper characteristics of density, velocity and weight. Even varnishes and aesthetic finishes can impact the instrument’s acoustics, adding rigidness if not applied with careful control.
What are your future projects?: I am opening a new studio in Medellín and I want to continue doing artistic collaborations with my violins, like the one I did with Laura Ospina Montoya, Fertile Hybridizations, which showcased botanical illustration. I wish to make knowledge exchange residencies once a year between European and Latin American master luthiers and be more active in promoting this craft and providing opportunities to others.

Alejandra Bedoya is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2014