Bios
Lorenzo Cassi was born in Borgonovo Val Tidone, in the province of Piacenza on June 6, 1974. He received his diploma at the International School of Violin Making in Cremona in 1997 under the guidance of Master Vincenzo Bissolotti, who taught him the classical Cremonese method of making. This method uses the internal mould as a basis for constructing instruments, and Lorenzo faithfully continues to follow this tradition.
After completing the violin school, he worked and collaborated in the workshop of Master Violin Maker Francesco Bissolotti where he specialized in costructing violins, violas and violoncellos. After four years in the Bissolotti workshop, he and his wife Kathrin opened in 2001 their own workshop in the heart of Cremona.
Lorenzo's work is refined and elegant and he seeks to reinterpret the models of the classic Cremonese makers such as Antonio Stradivari, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù and Nicolò Amati as well as the models of the Brescians such as Gasparo da Salò, and that of the Venetians such as Domenico Montagnana.
He continually searches to create instruments with a sound which is powerful and rich in harmonics coupled with aesthetics which are well proportioned and elegant. His instruments all bear the mark of his distinct personality and reflect his passion for his craft.
Kathrin Streiff Cassi was born in Bern (Switzerland) in 1974. She grew up in a home which nurtured her passion for music (her father is a musician and composer) and especially for the violoncello which she began studying as a child. In 1994 she came to Cremona to attend the Violin Making School; she completed her studies and obtained her diploma in 1998.
She makes cellos, violas and violins following the classical Cremonese method which makes uses of the internal mould. Her models are inspired by the great antique masters such as Antonio Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù.
She works together with her husband Lorenzo Cassi. In 2001 they opened their own violin making workshop in the heart of Cremona.
Kathrins marked disposition towards the arts and her refined musical sense are reflected in her work. Her instruments demonstrate fine workmanship and excellent acoustic qualities.
