wood alchemists: the construction of a violin

Photographic profile story on Fernando Solar, third generation luthier,

and documentation of his violin-making process.

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Raised among varnishes and shavings, to the beat of brushes and saws,

Fernando dedicated the first part of his life to studying the violin.

However, at the age of 18 and inspired by a Maksim Vengérov concert,

he decided to follow the footsteps of his ancestors down the path of instrument-making.

Today he continues with the family tradition, creating and repairing

violins, violas and cellos in the Solar workshop that operates in Malasaña since 1950.

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Madrid, Spain // September 2020