S.V.I.T. - Swedish Violinmakers Italian Tradition På svenska tack!

THE SVIT MEMBERS

BRIEF HISTORY

In 1982 a four-year professional training course started at Hantverkets Folkhögskola in Leksand, Sweden.
There had been a shortage of professional violin makers/restorers in Sweden for a long time.
The most famous international schools in Cremona and Mittenwald (Italy and Germany) served as a model
for the school. With a view to strengthening the Italian tradition they managed to employ
Maestro di Liutaio Carlo Bergman from Helsinki. He had been trained in Cremona
during the Golden era around 1960, by some of the most famous and best known violin makers of that time.

In order to maintain the Italian stringed instruments trade, keep its tradition, craftsmanship and artistic characteristic,
we started the association S.V.I.T. (Swedish Violin makers - Italian Tradition)

The association S.V.I.T. has been awarded with Ragnhild and Einar Lundström's Craft's Scholarship for 1996,
for the sum of 25.000 :- , and the motive is:

'The members of S.V.I.T. have in a very concrete way shown that it is possible to establish an unusual craft
with very highly set standards on craftmanship and business knowledge in our modern and varying industry.
The members have too, through participation in national and international exhibitions, shown that the quality
of their work keeps a high international standard and that they have gained confidence as repairers for a large
number of professional musicians and orchestras.' The foundation Hantverksfrämjandet through Jörgen Nilsson.

EXHIBITIONS

In connection with the 10th anniversary of our graduation and the receiving of our Journey mans letter,
we set up a jubilee exhibition at the Museum of Music in Stockholm. We exhibited 20 new instruments
built in the modern or the baroque style for contemporary playing. Several concerts were held in connection
the exhibition, featuring the June Quartet Åsa Jinder, the baroque ensemble Trio Sonnerie and the Harju Quartet.
A folk music concert was held by Pers Hans and Björn Ståbi.
The period for this exhebition was 96-10-18 - 96-11-10.

See some pictures from the exhibition.
You can send a mail to us for more information about the instruments still for sale.

4) Exhibit instruments tour of March-April 1990

a) Västerås: Town library. Concert with Västerås String Quartet.

b) Karlstad: County Museum, Folk music concert

c) Falun: County Museum, Concert with the Midgård ensemble

Furthermore, individual members of our group have exhibited their instruments
on different occasions in Sweden and abroad.
We have for example been represented at the Triennial in Cremona.