Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Fischer.
Michael, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the South of Germany as the son of a pastor. For the last four years of high school I went to a boarding school, which was early training for studying theology at university. As the rebel I usually was, I decided to do something totally different after graduating. At the age of 18 I chose to learn the art of violin-making, which offered me the right mixture of craft, visual arts, and music.
I attended the Violin Making School in Mittenwald, Germany; and after graduating, continued on to London to make viola-da-gambas and baroque instruments for Dietrich Kessler at Withers. While in London I also worked for the internationally renowned Charles Beare, performing complex restorations and studying the many fine, old instruments in the Beare’s shop.
In the early 1980s, I moved to Los Angeles to work at Hans Weisshaar’s shop. In 1984, I opened my own shop in Silver Lake with a concentration on restoring instruments. This year we celebrate the 33rd year in business at the same location.
While restoring a severely damaged Mateo Gofriller violin built in 1697, I thought to make a copy of it “just for fun.” When the two violins were finished, I offered them together and to my surprise, most musicians preferred the sound of my copy.
Since then, I have made and sold nearly 290 instruments, while also continuing the more traditional work of restorations and sale of violins, violas, and celli.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It appears as if every step of the way there have been big struggles. First it seemed as if I wouldn’t be able to go to the violin making school. Competition was fierce for a limited number of admissions, which was at most 8 new students per semester. When I applied for the school they told me that they had already finished taking applications for the wood working entry exam. But after a lengthy phone call from my mother to the school director, they let me take the exam and I was accepted into the program.
After I graduated, I worked at two of the best violin shops in the world at the time, although it appeared at first that none of this was going to be a possibility. Everyone wanted these positions, and only unrealistic dogged persistence and luck made the positions at Beares and Weisshaars happen. I applied for a job at Beares at least seven times before they hired me.
When the time came for me to open my own business, my main emphasis was in restoration of and selling old instruments because that was supposed to be the best way of running a violin shop. However, soon after I started I found that creating new instruments was a very attractive way of adding a new component into the business and responded to new needs in the economy.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Michael Fischer Violin Shop – what should we know?
The Michael Fischer Violin Shop has been in Silver Lake for 33 years. There are three main components to my business: selling of violins, violas, celli, and bows; restoration and repair of instruments; and the making of new violins, violas, and celli.
One of the things I’m known for is repairing instruments which other makers deem as ‘lost causes.’ For example, a violin was crushed because a car drove over it and came to me in a box full of small pieces. After over a year of restoration it was very rewarding to hold the violin in one piece. The cracks were repaired and no longer visible, and the player was able to create music again.
I also specialize in making copies of old instruments. Not long ago, a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic brought his fine old Italian violin built in the 18th century into the shop for repairs. After the restoration was finished I showed the owner a case with two violins which looked nearly identical, one of them was a copy I made while I did the restoration. The violinist could hardly tell which violin was the old one, and after trying the new one he decided to buy it and played on it most of the time after that.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The most important thing is that my clients trust my knowledge and ability to deal with any problem that could arise with their instrument.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1638 Rendall Place,
Los Angeles, CA 90026 - Website: www.mfischerviolins.com
- Phone: 323-665-0753
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: fb.me/michaelfischerviolinshop
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/michael-fischer-violins-los-angeles
Image Credit:
Dara Blaine
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