Joe Leahy - Violin Maker/Luthier

About

My musical journey started with piano lessons at age six thanks to my parents’ encouragement. Two years later, my father, from a big family with Irish roots and a tradition of fiddle playing, bought me a ¾ size violin. As my interest and skill grew, I eventually upgraded to a full-size French violin from the 1790s.

Studying under Klemi Hambourg, I performed as first chair and soloist with the Peterborough Youth Orchestra and then as orchestra member of both the Peterborough Symphony and the Peterborough Pipe Organ/Chamber Music Ensemble.

In high school, along with the violin, I also started playing guitar and developed a serious interest in how acoustic stringed instruments are made and how they work.

I came by my interest in woodwork and craftsmanship honestly. My maternal grandfather was a wooden boat builder, owner and operator of J. B O’Dette and Sons, established in 1926 in Peterborough. My father, an engineer, always had a personal project underway. The last thing he was building prior to his passing was a Sequoia Falco F.8L aerobatic aircraft from scratch, including the wooden airframe and metal components of the landing gear. I learned a number of skills from spending time with him in his workshop.

My first dive into instrument making was in 1976, making a classical guitar under the direction of Edward Victor Dick, a professional luthier and teacher who now runs a successful making and teaching operation in Dallas. I continued on for a number of years repairing and setting up various fretted and bowed instruments. As my enthusiasm grew, given my playing background, my interest naturally turned to the violin.

My violin-making skills have been shaped and refined through the invaluable support of many. They began with woodworking techniques learned from my father and were further developed through in-depth study of texts from the Newark, Chicago, and Cremona schools of violin making, as well as through the guidance and critical feedback of accomplished luthiers, dealers, and professional musicians who have generously examined my work. Since 2012, my focus has been solely on making new instruments of the violin family and honing my skills as a maker.