Violin by Emil Lupac

Emil Lupac (b. 1935 in former Czechoslovakia) is considered one of the finest Czech/Bohemian instrument makers working today. He studied with Josef Vávra and Willibald Wilfer, successfully completing both a four year apprenticeship and a master examination in instrument making. Lupac makes violins, violas, and cellos patterned from Stradivaris and Guarneris, using both Italian and Bohemian spruce and Bosnian maple. He has served as the principal teacher at the Czech School of Violin Making, and his students include generations of successful central European makers including Tomas Skala, his son-in-law.