Articles Of Interest

Joseph Curtin Studios

“Otto Erdesz Remembered” by Joseph Curtin; Otto Erdesz was a great influence on a number of young luthiers, including Joseph Curtin. Curtin shares some of his favorite memories, as well as the technological advances, of this passionate and visionary violinmaker who died in July, 2000. Originally published in The Strad, November, 2000, as “Chip off the old block”

“Weinreich and Directional Tone Colour” by Joseph Curtin; Gabriel Weinreich, Professor Emeritus of physics at the University of Michigan and pre-eminent figure in musical acoustics, has developed some remarkable explanations for why the violin sounds the way it does. Originally published in The Strad, April 2000, as “The Violin Finally Speaks”

“New Directions in Violinmaking” by Joseph Curtin; French research scientist Charles Besnainou has pioneered the use of carbon fiber for lutes and guitars. Curtin introduces Besnainou's work and explores the potential of such new approaches for violinmakers. Originally published in The Strad, April, 1999, as “Space-age Stradivari”

“Project Evia” by Joseph Curtin; A report on the progress of “Evia,” Curtin's experimental viola. American Lutherie Journal, No. 60, Winter 1999

“Innovation in Violinmaking” by Joseph Curtin; Joseph Curtin investigates the violin's resistance to significant innovation from an acoustical point of view. International Symposium on Musical Acoustics, June 26 - July 1, 1998

“The Reciprocal Bow As a Workshop Tool” by Joseph Curtin; This computerized method for evaluating the sound of a violin was developed in Gabriel Weinreich's laboratory. CAS Journal, 1996

Some Principles of Violin Setup by Joseph Curtin; A detailed examination of the violin bridge and its static and dynamic functions; Journal of the Violin Society of America, Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Convention, November 9-12, 1995

“Meet the Maker: Joseph Curtin” by Tim Olson; This interview with Joseph Curtin occurred in the Summer of 1998. American Lutherie Journal, No. 54

“The Art of a Commission” by Jana Luckey; Michael Heifetz commissioned a violin from Joseph Curtin in 1996. Jana Luckey documents the process that brought maker and player together in the creation of an instrument. Strings, November, 1997

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The Strad reviews the May 27, 1998, performance of Erick Friedman and Gordon Back at St John's, Smith Square, London.
The Strad, September 1998

The Strad reviews two Liszt CDs, including performances by Csaba Erdélyi, playing his 1991 Joseph Curtin viola.
The Strad, April 1998

“Peaks and Pitfalls”, The Strad, January, 1990 -- “Dennis D. Rooney looks at the career of Erick Friedman, past, present, and future.”

“Csaba Erdélyi: A Hungarian Violist Appears on the American Scene”, The Violexchange, Volume 4, Number 2, 1989

An Interview With Jana Luckey, by Nancy Skinner-Oclander

An Interview With Stephen Shipps, by Barbara Zmich

Curtin & Alf Archive

“The Violin's Genius and Mystery”, The Seattle Times, Sunday, March 12, 1995

“Curtins for Cremona”,
The Strad, November 1995

“In Focus: Brescia Revisited”, The Strad, November 1995

“Violin hits the high notes”, The Strad, January, 1994 -- “World record auction price for a violin by a living maker...”

“Strad Copy Sets Sotheby's Record”, The Globe and Mail, November 5, 1993