Stepan Soultanian

Luthier

©Stepan Soultanian

The Cypriot violin maker

Stepan's passions are woodcraft and music
He handcrafts violins using 17th-century methods
He enjoys teaching students and apprentices

Stepan Soultanian was 15 when he met a violin repairer. This encounter sparked his curiosity for violin making. The sight of all the tools and the smell in the workshop fascinated him so much that he made this craft his career. Most people don't realize that the arching and the thickness of a violin is carved from solid wood with an accuracy of one tenth of a millimetre. Hence, he advises young people who want to follow violin making to be committed to their craft but not to expect to get rich from it. The magic transformation of a piece of wood in a musical instrument of high quality happens on the hills of Mazotos, Larnaca, in a workshop placed between sea and mountain. A highlight in his career was his meeting with great Maestro Salvatore Accardo. Stepan showed him a violin that he had made and the Maestro recognized the model and was impressed with the tone.

Interview

©Stepan Soultanian

©Stepan Soultanian

What is your educational background?: I studied violin making and repairing at the Newark School of Violin Making (NSVM). After the 3 year course I continued learning the craft by working for various violin establishments.
Why did you choose this career?: I particularly enjoyed music and studied the violin and French horn. However my “talents” were in the fields of woodcraft, design and art. It was the perfect marriage of woodcraft and music!
Is violin making linked to Cyprus?: Cyprus has no tradition in violin making even though the instrument is very popular in traditional folk music. I was the first professional and qualified violin maker and repairer to set up here.
How does tradition show in your work?: The violins I make are individually handcrafted using methods that have not altered much since the 17th century. There is so much tradition that it leaves very little room for changes and innovations.

Stepan Soultanian is a master artisan: he began his career in 1986 and he started teaching in 2010