May 2024: in Beijing, the 5th edition of the International Competition of Lutherie for Bowed Instruments and Bows has just concluded — an event of great significance that attracted master luthiers and craftspeople from around the world.
In this edition, which takes place every three years in the Chinese capital, hundreds of instruments of the highest quality were presented and the judging process unfolded through several stages — preliminaries, semi-finals, and public finals — at the end of which 28 prizes were awarded in five different categories, including violins, violas, cellos, and bows.
For those like Alberto Giordano who served on the jury, judging such a large number of highly valued instruments — 460 in total — was an experience of learning, comparison, and international exchange.
A particular thank you goes to the colleagues with whom this intense and stimulating work was shared: Zheng Quan, Simeone Morassi, Gregg Alf, Nicolas Perrin, and Yannick Le Canu Sylvain Bigot — tireless companions during these days of work and professional dialogue.
The competition is not only a craft challenge of the highest level: it is also a platform for cultural exchange between different traditions, a celebration of instrument making, and an opportunity to observe closely how master craftspeople and young makers are shaping the future of global lutherie.
