Neil Kristof Ertz

05/10/2016

Dear friends,

It is with profound sadness that we must share the news of Neil's passing today, Wednesday 5th October. Neil suffered from a ruptured aneurysm on Monday and had been in hospital on life support since then. He left us today peacefully, surrounded by his family.

Thank you very much for the support and messages at this difficult time.

Maria, Kirstie and Mairi Értz.

07/07/2016

Some nice distraction....

31/03/2015

What a great man...I remember an amazing concert he gave at my school in the early 1980's...and through him I met his son Gordon who was instrumental in pointing me in the right direction for my first steps into learning violin making.

Ronald Stevenson was one of the great composer-pianists, a musician in the manner of Liszt, Rachmaninov and, his own personal idol, Paderewski. He was one of the few pianists whose playing was so individual that you could tell who was performing with your eyes closed, and yet he turned his back on t…

05/02/2015

Here's a link to a new publication due out later this year…looks like its going to be a great book that should join the varnish making library of every violin maker….and on top of that at a very reasonable price!
http://www.violinvarnishbook.net
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Violin-Varnish/1559373144305549

In one of the most useful books on the subject, the writings of the late Koen Padding appear for the first time in one collection.

19/11/2014

Here’s a link to a great document describing the building of a double bass by Roger Hargave (who in my opinion is one of the most influential and important violin makers around.)
http://www.roger-hargrave.de/PDF/Bass/Bass_Making_Part_12_72.pdf
The system and techniques he describes are pretty much identical to the way he builds cellos, violas and violins, this is in my opinion the best and most detailed online violin making tutorial available......
and on top of that totally free!

15/11/2014

Whoops!.... A little accident in rehearsal before Nicola's concert with the RSNO. All well with the bow thought, don't worry.

29/10/2014

News: Timothy Ridout wins inaugural Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition The UK competition was open to violists of all nationalities under the age of 21 October 28, 2014 The inaugural Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition has been won by 19-year-old Timothy Ridout. A student at…