I began building violins under the tutelage of Violin maker, Karl Dennis in 2004 while pursuing my graduate degree in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. After numerous apprenticeship grants from the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts and completing my course of study at RISD in 2006, I began pursuing lutherie and music performance as a full time career.

In all of my pursuits in music, design and making, I have found collaboration the most consistent means of development. From apprenticeship to mentoring, it is the exchange of ideas and pursuit of similar goals of excellence that bring different minds to continue to advance solutions to age old problems. It is in this spirit that I have gained the most in the past, and seek to continue to do so in the future.

We live in a very unique era in which methods of fabrication and material analysis are making unprecedented strides. It is through this ever sharpening lens that I seek to explore centuries of violin making through both the instruments themselves, and through the trove of two-dimensional documentation that is currently available. Bringing together this data with contemporary fabrication methods gives point of departure to the modern maker that was never before available. Violinarching.com is a chance for me to bring my digital design, engineering, and fabrication skill set to violin makers in pursuit of the centuries old problem of how to make the best instrument imaginable, in addition to providing drastic time savings and consistent products to my customers.

I am looking forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Ben Pearce

Cambridge, MA