Jan Spidlen
Jan
Spidlen was born on 12 November 1967 in Prague as the only son of
Premysl O. Spidlen. From his early childhood he spent a lot of time in
his father's workshop becoming familiar with string instruments, music
and wood and even showing significant artistic talent at that young age.
His parents encouraged him to take an interest in music and he began to
play the violin at the age of five.
He studied wood-carving at
the Art and Industrial School in Prague, however, he acquired the
fundaments of violin-making in Mittenwald in Germany where he spent a
year at the International Violin-Making School. After his return he
continued training with his father from whom he also inherited a love of
sport. In 1983-1984 he was a member of the national windsurfing team
and during the 1990s he was one of the top snowboarding talents in the
Czech Republic. Sport continues to play an important part in his life.
In 1989 he travelled to England to study for one year at the
prestigious London-based firm J&A Beare where he worked as a
restorer and encountered a large number of extremely rare instruments.
Since 1988 he is a member of the Violin-Makers' Artists' Circle and in
2003 he was adopted as a member of Entente Internationale des Maitres
Luthiers et Archetiers d'Art.
Jan married in 1993 and has two children, a son Frantisek (*1996) and daughter Josefina (*1998).
From the beginning of his career Jan has successfully attended various
international violin-making competitions where he has continued to
assume top positions: 1990 Paris (6. place – viola, 7. place – violin);
1993 Mittenwald (2. prize - violin), 1993 Prague (1. prize - viola),
1994 Manchester (3. prize - violoncello), 1997 Mittenwald (2. prize -
violin, 1. prize not awarded), 1997 Cremona (4. place - violin), 1999
Paris (honourable mentions – violin and viola).
In October
2003 Jan Spidlen reached his greatest success so far. With his two
violins he participated at the jubilee 10. Triennale - the important
international violin-making competition in Cremona/Italy. At general
amazement, he received the 1. and the 2. prize, as well as 2 other
prizes for the best tone and workmanship of the whole competition, and
another special prize of the Polish violin-makers' assotiation for the
best sounding violin. This phenomenal success is unique - allegedly this
was the first time one violin-maker received so many prizes at one
time. Nowadays Jan Spidlen takes part at violin making competitions as a
jury member.
Jan Spidlen is strongly interested in innovation
of bow instruments. In May 2004 he was invited to the Amiata Summit, a
two-week international meeting dedicated especially to possibilities of
future development of violin. Top nine violin makers, several well known
players, experts in brainstorming and journalists participated in this
creative cooperation. Each luthier prepared a project and presented his
own view of potencial innovations. Mutual confrontation and exchange of
ideas in very unconventional and relaxed atmosphere helped to realize
many good ideas. In conjunction with the Amiata Summit Jan Spidlen
constructed a violin including various innovations not only for the sake
the individual design but mainly for improvement of sound and stability
of the instrument: modified outline of the body with short corners and
narrow edge, enlarged eff holes, titanium screw inside the neck, carbon
fibre reinforcement of the bass bar, individual design of the scroll
with inlayed lead weight... The violin attracts the attencion at first
due to its blue color. This symbol of liberation from convention raised
from collaboration with Pavel Sporcl, Czech virtuoso who also took part
at the Amiata Summit. From July 2006 he is the new owner of this
outstanding instrument.
He is currently working in their family
workshop in Prague, almost exclusively manufacturing new violins. His
instruments are highly valued and, due to high demand, particularly from
abroad, customers may have to wait several years for an instrument.
