“I love my Widemann viola ! It’s easily one of the very best new instruments I have played. It is such a beautifully made viola and the sound has great warmth and clarity, fabulous character and excellent projection. It’s also very easy to play.”
Roger Benedict
Soloist, Chief Conductor and Senior Lecturer in viola, Sydney Conservatorium of Music
“Hi Tobi, just a quick email to say how much I’m enjoying playing your viola. My orchestra (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment) does HIP and at the moment I have gut A&D and Eudoxa G&C on the viola – it all works really well – very even and rewarding to play. The instrument just seems to ‘purr’ – like a contended cat – and the strings seem to stay better in tune than is usual with gut. Many Thanks. Nick”
Nicholas Logie
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, London, UK
“Your/our beautiful viola is doing great. I play on it nearly every day, and it’s opened up and warmed up, not that it needed that. Your viola is the one I teach on at Juilliard. The viola you made for me is warm and beautiful and incredibly easy to play. 16 1/2 is big enough to have a real viola sound, with some true power behind it, which I like. And it’s visually very beautiful, which I always feel is important, as it just feels good to look at
Toby Appel
Viola Soloist and Teacher, Juilliard faculty, New York, USA
I really enjoy my Viola. It is very responsive to play, and sounds and looks great. Being light to hold, well designed for easy access to higher positions and easy to hear clearly in an ensemble, it really makes my life as an orchestral musician easier and more enjoyable. The adjustments have worked out really well, and the viola is feeling and sounding good. SO thanks for your efforts on that.”
Lyndsay Mountford
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
“I have been playing my beautiful 16.5 inch Widemann viola since 2017, and I cowldn’t be happier. The richness of tone and variety of colours have brought a great sense of adventure to my practice and performance – something I hadn’t even known I was missing. This viola fits easily into any setting, blending into an orchestral section sound, singing out on solo lines, livening up the middle voices in chamber music and garnering admiration from sound engineers in recording sessions. It is comfortable to handle and easy to move around, and I look forward to continuing my journey with it for many more years to come
Sharon Baylis
Associate Principle, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
“The violin is fantastic and sounding really great and continues to evolve over time.”
Joshua Tang
Dunedin Symphony Orchestra
New Zealand
Email from Chris after doing a check up on his viola to keep it sounding at it’s best:
“Hi Tobi, Lovely to see you all yesterday and spend some time with you. I am very grateful for yesterday and that I have the viola with me going into lockdown. The viola sounds extraordinary; I can’t stop thinking about it when I’m not playing it. I knew it was a nice instrument, but I did not know it could be this incredible. I feel completely free to create the music I want; what a privilege to play it! Thank you so much again and all the best to you for the next few weeks.”
Chris Van Der Zee
Principal Viola, Orchestra Wellington
New Zealand
“I have been the proud and happy owner of a Widemann viola for the past several months. I find that Tobi’s violas tick all the boxes. They have a great C string, they are light, are a playable size (16 1/4) and have an overall clear but slightly pungent “Italian” sound. The light golden varnish on the beautiful top and back wood makes his instruments very attractive as well. Tobi offers free check up service after the sale. We have always spent several hours together on different occasions while we tried different string combinations along adjustments to get the most from my viola. Tobi also changed the tailpiece and chinrest at my request, taking a fair amount of time to get everything set up exactly to my comfort and preference. After the best part of a year, my viola still has it’s original bridge and soundpost. This indicates to me that despite its light weight and flexible response, the instrument is actually very stable, something that bodes well for years of reliable service. Best of all, my Widemann Viola has inspired me to practice more than I used to!”
Phillip Rose
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
“I commissioned a violin from Tobias Widemann after having already heard two of his violas, and having played – at length, and in performance – two of his violins. I had been most impressed by each of these instruments. My new violin arrived last June (2012) and I have very much enjoyed playing it in the twelve or so chamber concerts I have had over the last two months. It is a robust and handsome instrument with a big, rich tone, excellent projection, and has a tremendous evenness of sound. It was very quick to play in and has absolutely held its own in chamber music performances along with esteemed colleagues playing on well-known old Italian and French instruments. Several of those colleagues made a point of complimenting Tobi’s skill and craftsmanship. I am totally delighted with the violin and extremely grateful to Tobi for his superb work.”
Leo Phillips
Soloist, Conductor, Teacher
www.leophillips.com
I first saw Tobi Widemann’s work at the Violin Society of America convention in 2008. Of the many instruments exhibited, his violin stood out for me by virtue of its striking appearance and fine tone. So much so that I decided to purchase it. It has the very full rounded tone and incisive brilliance that helps the player succeed in solo, orchestral and chamber music performances. Tobias’s violin is also beautiful to look at, with a rich red varnish and striking, vigorous workmanship. I love my Widemann violin!
Frederick Rupert
Concertmaster, Reston Chamber Orchestra
USA
I am more than happy with my viola made by Tobi. It is beautiful aesthetically and of course aurally. Because I have been the primary player of this viola, I have been able to shape the sound to compliment my own sound concept and it is extremely responsive. The instrument is easy to play and it is especially comfortable to reach high positions. It projects in a variety of performance spaces and has a full resonance, making good intonation very rewarding. I am very pleased to have found an instrument in this price range which is so well suited to my needs and I look forward to playing it for many years to come. The free servicing provided by Tobi and his commitment to his instruments has ensured that my viola has been in optimum condition – New Zealand is very lucky to have such a fine luthier.
Bryony Gibson-Cornish
New Zealand
The violin I played, made by Tobias Widemann, is lovely in workmanship and also possesses a wonderful tone. It has a rich lower register, a strong and well-balanced middle range, and it sings all the way up to its highest notes. The tone is supple and warm and I’m certain it will only grow more beautiful as it ages. I was very impressed by this fine instrument and I look forward to seeing and playing on more of his work.
Endre Balogh
Violin Soloist & Photographer
USA
www.endresphotos.com