Maker's Name: Hildegard Dodel
Place of Birth: Ulm, Germany
Date of Birth: 1968
Workshop location: Cremona
Education: Graduated Cremona School, 1992
Mr. Musafia's note: Hildegard is a regular participant in the Cremona Exhibition. Her instruments represent a particularly good value -- she's a solid maker that follows the classic Cremonese tradition.
Curriculum Vitae: Hildegard Dodel was born in Ulm (Germany)
on 22 April 1968. She became fascinated by music and woodworking when she was
still young. In 1987 she built her first
instrument (Viola da gamba) under the supervision of the late Tibor Ehlers in a
small village in the Black Forest. From 1988-1992, after having finished
high school in '87, she trained as a violin maker at the International School of
Violin Making "I.P.I.A.L.L." Antonio Stradivari in Cremona (Italy).
After achieving her diploma and
also this of repairing and restoring stringed instruments, she stayed for
another two years in Cremona making new instruments and attending a bow making
course. She then worked for almost one year with the master violin maker
Martin Michalke in Oldenburg (Germany). From 1995 until 2000 she worked
for Serge Stam, master violin maker and expert in Utrecht (Netherlands), where
she had the opportunity to see, study and work on important antique instruments.
At present she lives and works in
Cremona, where she opened her own atelier in 2001. Besides restoring, she mainly
concentrates on making new violins, violas and cellos inspired by the classical
Cremonese masters. In 2002 she got her diploma as a “Geigenbaumeister”
(master violin maker)
Hildegard Dodel was prize winner
of several competitions such as
1993
-- 3rd
Violin Making Competition Baden-Württemberg Jacobus Stainer, Freiburg (D):
awared-winning violin now property of the Federal State of Baden-Wurttemberg
1994 -- 2nd International Violin Making Competition P.I.Tschaikowsky, Moscow goldmedal for viola and special prize for best sound
2001 -- 5th International Violin Making Competition Jacobus Stainer, Hinterzarten (D): special prize for excellent sound: violin & viola