Maker of Violins, Violas and 'Cellos
Violin Making Students
Vermont School of Violin Making
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From Port Townsend, Washington, Chloe Swantner became "enraptured" with the art, history and beautiful intricacies of violin making. She is on hiatus from her studies at The College of the Atlantic. Chloe plays fiddle in an acoustic, "dancey" band called Below the Salt and on her own plays a variety of eastern European, gypsy jazz, tango, blues and "uncategorizable." She is hoping to augment her role in the musical community with the knowledge of an experienced violin maker. |
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Born and raised in Derby, Vermont, Eric Benware graduated from North Country High School in Newport, and began working in the deli section of the local P&C grocery store. He plays the acoustic and electric violin, and studied violin with Persis Ensor. He completed two years of study with Thurmond in 2006. |
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Born in Cuba and raised in Venezuela, Sergio Oliver lives with his wife in Maryland where he studies the cello. After obtaining competency with the instrument, he decided he wanted to build one for himself. He began studying violin making with Thurmond in September, 2006. Sergio plans to retire from banking in 2007 in order to pursue violin making full time. |
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David Hall, from Enfield, New Hampshire, has been an all around carpenter for most of his life. He began studying with Thurmond in 2005, and completed the spring semester in 2006. He finished one violin and did many instrument repairs, rehairs and bow repairs. He plans to set up his own violin shop in the wilds of New Hampshire. |
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Margaret Herreid began studying violin making and repair in October 2004 with Thurmond at the Vermont School of Violin Making. Here she is shown holding the top of her first violin. She has played the fiddle since an early age, studying with her father. Home schooled, Margaret plans to continue working as a luthier in her own shop in the St. Johnsbury, Vermont area. |
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Ammon Paquette attended Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where he majored in physics, math, and environmental studies. Studying violin with Dr. Susan Stone, he is a member of the Augustana Symphony Orchestra. For recreation he plays bluegrass, baroque and classical music on the mandolin. At the college he runs track and cross-country and swims competitively. Making wooden musical instruments has long been a dream of his, and, after attempts at making a mandolin on his own, he decided to formally study violin making with Thurmond. |
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Cam Kelly, who hails from Michigan, now lives with her five dogs, horses and pet cows in Montpelier, Vermont. She is a retired physician who has decided to begin a second career in violin making. She is a cellist and member of the Capital Orchestra in Montpelier. |
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Denise Dean is beginning her new career as a violin maker. She lives with her family in Jericho, Vermont, and works as a marketing analyst at Ben and Jerry's Ice-cream Company. Denise is a fiddler and studies with Peter Miller. She recently made her stage debut with Peter Miller and Buddy MacMasters at the Haskell Opera House in Derby Line, Vermont/Stanstead, Quebec. |
Bill Hayden of Montpelier, Vermont, has been wheeling and dealing fiddles and violins for many years at the fiddle contests in central Vermont. He decided it was time to learn how to make the necessary instrument adjustments, and is studying basic fiddle repair, maintenance and setup with Thurmond. |
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Don Orr lives in Louisiana with wife Bonnie and their beloved Boston Terriers, Porgy and Betsy. Don and Bonnie are fiddlers and for 59 years Don has made a career of building sailing yachts, houses and fine furniture, and now has turned his considerable energies to the making of fine violins. |
Tim Breen received his undergraduate training at Bucknell University and his master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. For a number of years he taught high school physics. Now he is involved in community based educational projects in Littleton, New Hampshire. He lives in Bethlehem, N.H. with his wife, Julie, and children Evan and Tori. He studied for two summers with Karl Roy at the University of New Hampshire Summer Violinmaking Institute, where he met Thurmond. |
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Mona Lewandoski
is from the Northeast
Kingdom of Vermont and graduated from Harvard College with a degree
in music theory. From 2003 to 2005, she researched
judicial nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee. At law
school she is a member of the Journal on Law and Gender and assists
with pro bono bankruptcy filings, and spent summers working at Legal
Momentum and the Office of Vermont Senator Bernie
Sanders.
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David Meyer received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech, and is in engineering and product development management at Karl Suss of America. David played the trumpet for 15 years and currently plays the fiddle. He has worked with Thurmond since November, 2000 and is busy making new instruments. He resides with his wife and young son in Jeffersonville, Vermont. |
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Glee Charlestream, father of Kevin (see below) is a classically trained violist. He is presently restoring his priceless viola which he accidentally ran over with his car about ten years ago. He plans to learn repair and restoration with Thurmond, and then begin making new instruments. He lives in Cabot, Vermont with his wife, Cathy, a talented violinist, and their four children, all musically talented. |
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Marc Gregoire studied violin making and repair with Thurmond. After completing a career in the Navy, he returned to Vermont, working at IBM. Now he works full time as owner of a violin shop where he does new instrument building as well as repair and restoration. He lives in Barre, Vermont with wife, Debbie, and their three children. |
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Kevin Charlestream, of Cabot, Vermont, has been playing cello since age four, and at the age of five began performing worldwide. He studied with acclaimed cellist Dieuwke Davydov. He has made numerous appearances in Carnegie Hall with conductor and composer John Rutter of Oxford, England, and the New England Symphonic Ensemble directed by Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse. Kevin is learning instrument repair and restoration with Thurmond |
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Dylan Mueller studied for three years with Thurmond, learning repair, restoration and making new instruments. Home schooled, he has many interests, including woodworking, bread baking commercially, as well as vegetable gardening. He and his father run a woodworking shop together where they produce numerous products, including wooden blocks. Dylan plans to make violin making a full time profession. |
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Johannes Ziegler studied for one year at the Vermont School of Violin Making after a long career as a jeweler. His interest in producing stringed instruments arises from the fact that his sister, Theora, is a talented cellist. |
| Mike Routhier began studying with Thurmond in March, 2001. He has long had an interest in woodworking, and played the guitar professionally for many years. He resides with his wife, Connie, and son Jason in Newport, Vermont. Mike and Connie own and operate Northeast Television. |  |
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Jason Routhier began studying with Thurmond in March 2001. He is a guitarist and is new to woodworking. He owns a company which designs and produces the labels/covers for CDs. He lives in Newport, Vermont. |
| Katie Dunbar, age 12, studied violin repair with Thurmond for four months during the winter of 2000-2001, restoring a fine old cello. She studied cello with Thurmond, playing the instrument which she helped restore. Other hobbies include art, writing and reading. She resides with her parents, Bethany and Harvey, and her brother Tristan on a farm in Glover, Vermont where they keep horses and cattle, and breed labrador retrievers. |  |
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Daniel Persons studied intermittently with Thurmond for five years. During that time he completed construction of a violin and performed numerous stringed instrument repairs. His interests include pottery, making stained glass windows and engine repair. He has specialized in repair and restoration of large building cranes. Daniel plays the fiddle in his spare time. |
| Emerging violin maker, warrior, and philosopher, Diana Lindsay Cole studied at the Violin Making School of America prior to her year with Thurmond. During her tenure in Vermont she completed a charming violin in the style of Niccolo Amati and an intriguing Gaspar da Salo viola, and got a good start on a Strad model cello. She has opened her own Luna Work Shop luthery in Leeds, Mass. |  |
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Caitlin Pugh met Thurmond in his teaching capacity at the University of New Hampshire Violin Making Institute, and decided to study with him for one year. She completed one violin and began a viola. After completing her studies with Thurmond, she began employment as a repairer of cellos in the shop of Paul Perley, located in central Vermont. |
