The Violin Maker of Cremona

In Cremona, Italy, a small workshop still builds violins by hand, following methods passed down since the days of Stradivari. When master luthier Stefano Conia selects a young apprentice, he does not simply hand them a chisel and wish them well. He provides the wood, the tools, the varnish, the workspace. He teaches them to hear the grain of the spruce, to feel where the maple wants to bend.…