About Alexander

Alexander Yurovitsky was born in Kiev, capital of what is now the Ukraine. The son of the First Cellist in the Kiev Philarmonic Orchestra, he came from a musical family and began playing the violin at age 5. After graduating Gorky Conservatory he became First Violinist in the Philharmonic Cinema Orchestra and First Violinist in the Modern Music Ensemble which performed on Soviet Radio, as well as a teacher.

He has always been fascinated with the mysterious beauty and sound of 18th century Cremonese instruments and began experimenting in the 1960's; first with violin adjustment, then repair and restoration.

 

Because the former U.S.S.R. was "closed" to the West, the art of violin making was slowly dying there. Literature and tools were absent. Schools or apprenticeships didn't exist. Resins, alchohol etc. had to be purchased on the black market. Methods of repair, tools, everything had to be completely reinvented or improvised. This unfortunate situation also had its positive side: under these conditions and in the absence of basically everything necessary for the craft, a potential violin maker had to be extremely unorthodox, sharp, and inventive.

 

Skills aquired during this time paid off when on the 3rd day of his arrival in USA Alexander was hired on the spot within 15 minutes of his first job interview by Mr. Havivi at Havivi Studios at 140 West 57 street. This shop later moved to Carnegie Studios at Carnegie Hall. It was there that Alexander was finally able to learn classic repair and sound adjustment techniques.

 

Alex crafted his first violin in 1977, and since then has used his fascination with drawing, chemistry, literature, and art to create violins of superb quality which are played all over the world. Alexander currently has a studio in Brooklyn, New York.

 

He is also on violinist.com. He is a member of The Violin Society of America.