Florian Leonhard Fine Violins

05/05/2026

It was a pleasure to spend the day with such a lovely group of people full of curiousity and enthusiasm!

The past two weeks have been a tale of 3 Florian’s.

Firstly we were very happy to welcome Florian Leonhard. Florian very generously took time away from his famous London workshop schedule, to present an all encompassing talk to the students. Not only did we receive a fascinating insight to the violin world from a very personal angle, but we were treated to a spread of stunning historically significant instruments that brought the lecture to life even more. A gorgeous mid golden period Stradivari, a humbling Guarneri del Gesu from the late 1730’s, and to make the point that Cremona was hot but not the only spot, we had a glorious Peter Guarneri of Venice from the early 1720’s to link the timeline. Our 3rd year tutor John Wright was graciously allowed to demonstrate the sound of each instrument to the students and help illustrate the conversation of the vastly different arch shapes and how they might impact the tonal qualities. The set was also completed by a Stradivari model violin fresh from Florian’s own workshop and I think all in attendance were impressed by how it compared to the old masters on show with it.

Next up, our second year students had the gift of Florian Bailey’s time to illuminate more, the world of bows on our course. This generous guest lecture, from one of the UK’s top bow restorers, brings a perfect compliment of something different yet extremely relevant, to our 2nd years who often start to consider what avenue of the profession they may journey along.

Last but by no means least, we have our very own 2nd year repair and restoration lecturer, Florian Forconi, who celebrated a very special birthday this week. Happy birthday Flo from all the staff and students 🎂.

Three very different Florian’s that all bring their unique qualities to the journey of our students. A perfect demonstration of the huge benefits we see from all working together towards a worthy cause.

Thanks to all involved for organising and coordinating these essential visits, that undoubtedly punctuate the deep dive of a journey our students take at Newark.

09/04/2026

Huge congratulations to the extraordinary 14-year-old JungA Kim on being awarded First Prize at this week’s in London.👏

JungA was also awarded the Florian Leonhard Fellowship Prize — a two-year loan of a fine 18th-century Italian cello. We are absolutely delighted that this remarkable instrument will be part of Jung A’s exciting journey ahead.

13/03/2026

It was a pleasure to host a scintillating concert last night with the extraordinary Julian Kainrath and Emanuil Ivanov.

Julian, winner of the Ysaye International Competition, performs on a magnificent Bergonzi violin on loan through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship. He was joined by the brilliant pianist Emanuil Ivanov, winner of the Busoni Piano Competition, in a programme of sonatas by Mendelssohn, Beethoven, and Franck.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special evening.

02/03/2026

🎻 Apply to Join Our Restoration Workshop in London

Florian Leonhard Fine Violins invites applications to join our London restoration team.

We look forward to welcoming a skilled luthier who shares our love of instruments and commitment to the highest standards of craftsmanship and restoration.

Salary commensurate with experience.
To apply, please send your CV to [email protected] by 1 May 2026.

26/02/2026

Earlier this month, we had the joy of collaborating with St. André and the New York Philharmonic for a spectacular evening of music.

NY Phil musicians and delivered brilliant, beautifully nuanced performances on historic instruments from our collection - a truly special experience for everyone in the room.

A heartfelt thank you to .andreteam and for an unforgettable night.

📸: Fadi Kheir

23/02/2026

Thank you all for your astute observations! This exquisite Maggini model by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume is so masterfully executed that it could easily be mistaken for a fine old Italian violin.✨🎻

20/02/2026

Can you guess the maker of this stunning violin?✨🔍 Leave your guess in the comments, and stay tuned for the reveal!

05/02/2026

We are delighted to sponsor the Sarasate Academy in Madrid, this year held between May 14-17th!

This is a special opportunity to study and work with , , Thomas Ribel and Frans Helmerson - with prizes including an instrument loan from us, and the chance to perform as a soloist with a leading philharmonic orchestra.

The application link can be found at https://sarasate.academy/en/academy-2026 and we are looking forward to meeting all the amazing young artists!

26/01/2026

This very rare copy of a decorated by Nicolò Gagliano is one of many on offer here at Florian Leonhard Fine Violins ✨

We're fortunate to have examples by 4 generations of the Gagliano family currently - please make an appointment to come and try them out!

19/11/2025