Violin tendencies
- Florian Leonhard
(David Sonin, Ham and High, 20th December 2002)
Hampstead violin maker Florian Leonhard srikes a chord with young players
The age of patronage for the arts is dead, or so goes that oft repeated phrase. But is it? At one end of the philanthropic scale people of means do dig deep to support opera, the theatre and orchestras, and at a lesser level there are those who provide showcase performance opportunities for young artists that would otherwise be beyond their reach.
A number of such patrons flourish in Hampstead and Highgate and not least among them is Florian Leonhard, violin maker and dealer, whose support for young soloists and ensembles has become a feature of local musical life over the past five years or so.
In that time he has staged some 30 private soirées in his Frognal Lane home to groups of friends and professionals in the music world, between who have been those who can have a direct bearing on a young artists’ future career.
Patronage was high on Florian’s agenda when he took his first tentative steps in violin restoration as a 15-year-old in his native Dusseldorf.
“My parents – my father is a painter and lecturer and my mother a one-time violinist – placed music high on our collective agenda. Visits to concert halls and music festivals were regular family activities and I received the utmost encouragement from them to pursue my interest in violins.
“After high school I thought I might study medicine, but I could not really focus on any other activity. I was accepted and enrolled in the renowned school of violin making at Mittenwald, in the Alps, which is one of 10 such schools in Germany. The three-and-a-half-year course was all-embracing and there I learnt the necessary skills: to use the knife, to select the right materials, how to prepare the components and assemble them with precision.”
If there is a definable streak in Florian’s makeup it is determination. “Even before I left Mittenwald, I was determined to aim high in my craft and I did what no other member of my peer group dared, I wrote to the London violin dealers W. Hill and Sons, the absolute pinnacle of the trade, and ask them for a job
“That was my introduction to London and the four years I spent with the company provided with that gloss which has proved invaluable,” Florian adds.
As for all young German men, the obligation of national service in the armed forces had to be confronted. “I was a conscientious objector and if you could prove to a court that you could not, under any circumstances, use a weapon to kill, then you could perform social service instead. That could mean helping the elderly, which I did and found very satisfying,” he recalls.
After his 16 months of social service Florian joined Machold, the Bremen-based firm of violin dealers and another firm in the global top echelon with offices in New York, Tokyo and Zurich.
He spent more than two years with Macholds and was then approached by the old established Soho firm of Edward Withers. “I resisted their offer at first and then decided to accept as I had decided that I wanted to make England my home.
“I spent about 18 months with the firm and began to formulate plans for opening my own business, and in 1995 decided finally that I would settle here, one day move to Hampstead and open my own business. Thus far, all objectives have been achieved.”
Although by some dealership standards the firm of Florian Leonhard is still toddler, it has established solid credentials in the music world by supplying violins, violas and cellos to established artists, collectors and investors.
An important aspect of his advisory work is establishing the authenticity of instruments. “As a young person visiting art galleries and museums with my parents I developed a fascination with the authentic and what means you use to determine authenticity.”
And more than a few of the genuine articles have passed through his hands – violins made by the Cremonese families of Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri, who dominated violin making between the 16th and 18th centuries, as well as those by the Neopolitan maker Alessandro Galliano and instruments by makers whose names are probably unfamiliar to the wider public.
Florian’s business perceptions are very practical. Good musicians need good instruments, though not all can afford the kind of instrument they want and need. “I do encourage investment in violins, which are an ever-appreciating currency. However, I do also encourage investors to become sponsors by providing the instruments they have acquired to deserving young players on long-term loan.
”If a young musician leaves college, say, with £10,000, he or she has little hope of acquiring a violin that is worth £100,000. They need help.
“For instance this week I hosted a recital given by the very talented young Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova, who played an instrument of mine made in 1687 by Cremonese maker Francesco Ruggieri.
“I cannot give her the violin, of course, but I am looking for a sponsor who will “buy” it for her.”
Florian relishes his multi-purpose role, though it can be taxing because of the responsibilities involved. For relaxation he paints watercolours and oils and he loves sailing and enjoys cruising the Med with friends.
“My resolution for 2003 is to continue to enjoy what I do and whenever possible give advice and lend a hand to those at the start of their careers.”
