Originally from Quebec ; Canada, I was encouraged by my mother to explore music at the « Les Petits Chanteurs de Trois-Rivières » school aural skills (theory and musical practice, approach and listening to sound …) . Concurrently, I had the paternal incitement guidance in the wood transformation process (lumberjack, sawmill …). To further my apprentice ship, I studied at L’École Nationale du Meuble of Victoriaville (Quebec ; Canada), where I learned furniture and staircase making in solid wood, sculpture, marquetry and the basics of varnishing. I graduated with the Governor General of Canada Medal Award for best academic performance.
In 2005, I decided to bring together all these experiences and to become a violin maker, which had been my ambition since I was 14.
After successfully graduating from the National School of Lutherie at Mirecourt (France) in 2009, I joined Patrick Robin‘s workshop as his assistant where I have perfected my initial training and contributed to the manufacture of his instruments. During the last nine years I have been imbued with his approach to this profession. I have had the opportunity to get to know and push the limits of my senses, -my touch, my sight and my hearing- and it has also been an opportunity to immerse myself in the culture of the sonority of the quartet instruments.
The works of François Denis (Traité de Lutherie) are also part of my approach as a maker. This tool is a precious help for studying and for understanding the design of old instruments of the great masters such ; Stradivari, Amati, Guarneri, Da Salo, Maggini …. So, I am able to make informed and thoughtful choices in my own manufacturing, whether to make an adapted model to a particular demand or to explore the available possibilities of a contemporary design.
Enriched by this experience, I devote myself to the making of quartet instruments .
Photo: Patrick Robin