Rules, Rules, Rules... (con't)
Interviewee: Geoffrey Ovington

So with so many rules, what makes the profession so desirable for Ovington? One of the things is the people, “I’m honored to work with these incredible people and make things for them!” He goes on to explain that he is making a tool, a tool that his “team” will use. His team consist of makers, like himself, to composers like Beethoven. “My part of the job is like tugging on the rope for 15 seconds...” he says, and of course the next person “tugging” could be anyone from a world renown Violist, to a little girl 6 years old.

Rules are the name of this game, however, like Ovington said, instrument-makers do find ways to express themselves in their instruments. “I’d like to think that a hundred years from now people will recognize my instruments and say, ‘Oh yeah, he made violins, violas, and cellos. Very exceptional violas in the 16 inch range.’” Ovington shares a goal that many other violin-makers have as well, they don’t want to try and redesign the instrument, they just want to make the best of what the rules let them do. 

Geoffrey Ovington is a world renown maker of fine string instruments. His instruments are played by a wide range of orchestras, ensembles, and soloists, ranging from the New York Philharmonic, to the Vienna Symphony, in 11 countries. The Vienna Philharmonic commissioned several violas from his bench. This was the first such commission that orchestra ever made to a living maker. Today he makes violins, violas, and 'celli.