Forum 2025

ABOUT THE FORUM 2025

Space for learning, art, and interdisciplinary collaboration among specialists

The International Forum for String Instruments 2025, organized by the Włodzimierz Kamiński and Helena Harajda Art of Violin Making Foundation, will take place on the 19-22 November 2025 at the ZAMEK Culture Centre in Poznań. The event merges knowledge, art of lutherie, music and research, providing participants with two main program highlights. The first is the Masterclass "From model design to repair" led by renowned European experts, Iris Carr (United Kingdom) and François Denis (France), aimed at violin making students and young graduates. The second is the International Interdisciplinary Scientific-Artistic Conference "Tradition and modernity in string instruments" serving as a space for the exchange of experiences and knowledge among violin makers, musicologists, musicians, scientists, and string instrument specialists. The Forum will conclude with the concert "Because an instrument must play" during which musicians from Poznań will present instruments made by young violin makers participating in the Forum.

Educating future masters

Forum 2025 is part of the long-term strategy of the Kaminski-Harajda Foundation, aimed at supporting the educational system for artistic violin making in Poland and expanding the European cooperation of violin making schools through the Joint Initiative for Violin Making Education. Since its inception, the Foundation has actively supported young violin makers by organizing masterclasses, conferences, and international competitions, as well as building a network of cooperation between European violin making educational centres.

The events organized as part of the Forum continue these efforts, providing participants with access to specialized knowledge and a space for exchanging experiences with distinguished experts.

Additionally, the Forum continues the organizers' efforts to popularize art of lutherie through events open to the general public, such as workshops that allow participants to explore the intricacies of violin making, and a final concert, during which instruments crafted by young creators, participants of this year's Forum, will be played.

MASTERCLASS

From model design to instrument repair

The International Forum for String Instruments 2025 invites you to a Masterclass dedicated to violin making students and young graduates from violin making schools. This unique opportunity allows participants to gain knowledge and practical skills under the guidance of two world-class experts: Iris Carr from the United Kingdom and François Denis from France. The classes will be held in professionally adapted workshop rooms at the ZAMEK Culture Centre in Poznań, offering participants the best conditions for learning and perfecting the art of violin making.

Participants can choose from one of two thematic paths. "Retouching and restoration" course led by Iris Carr will cover techniques for repair and reconstructing bowed string instruments, including the retouching of master instruments, while François Denis will lead sessions focused on "Model design" of string instruments, essential for every violin maker aiming to develop their own artistic style.

The masterclasses offer highly specialized knowledge that complements the standard curricula of European violin making schools. In addition to intensive learning under the guidance of experts, course participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences with violin making adepts from various countries, which will help to build an international network of contacts and collectively develop skills.

PARTICIPATION CONDITIONS AND APPLICATION

📅 November 19-22, 2025 | ZAMEK Culture Centre, Poznań, Poland

Classes will be held in professionally adapted workshop rooms at the ZAMEK Culture Centre in Poznań, providing participants with the best conditions for learning and practice.

Masterclass Program

Participants can choose one of two thematic paths:

Retouching and restoration – led by Iris Carr

Introductory lecture
Techniques of restoration and retouching in the reconstruction and repair of master instruments
4-day course
Small group sessions
Course fee: 1500 PLN

Model design – led by François Denis

Designing instrument models – a key tool for young violin makers
4-day course
Larger group sessions
Additionally: lecture by Iris Carr on instrument repair and retouch
Course fee: 1000 PLN

📌 Requirements for course participation:

✔ Minimum age of 18

✔ Status as a student, or a graduate of a violin making school (up to 5 years after graduation)

✔ Completion of the registration form and submission of proof of enrolment or graduation diploma. Applications will be accepted from May 1, 2025, to June 15, 2025.

The REGISTRATION FORM will be available on May 1, 2025, HERE.

The number of places is limited, and admission to the course depends on the order of applications. Participants will be informed of their qualification by June 30, 2025. Upon qualification, participants are required to pay the entry fee for the masterclass by July 15, 2025.

Some places in the masterclass are reserved for students from European schools participating in the Joint Initiative for Violin Making Education. Each of these schools may recommend two students, one for each thematic course, who will be accepted into the masterclasses out of turn and under preferential financial conditions.

Each participant in the masterclass will receive a diploma confirming participation upon completion of the course. Additionally, each participant in the masterclasses may bring one bowed string instrument to present during the Forum 2025 (violin, viola, or cello). Among the instruments presented, those selected by musicians will be played at the final concert "Because an instrument must play," which will take place on November 22, 2025, at the ZAMEK Culture Centre in Poznań, and the authors of the selected instruments will receive a sound quality certificate.

IRIS CARR

Retouching and restoration of fine instruments

Iris Carr graduated from the Newark School of Violinmaking with distinction in 1996 and was offered a job at Charles Beare’s shop in London where she trained as a Violin Restorer with very experienced and skilled craftsmen, working on fine violins, violas and cellos. After 8 years of working at J & A Beare, Iris set up her own restoration business in Suffolk in 2004, concentrating on major restoration projects which have included instruments by Antonio Stradivari, the Guarneri and Amati family and many more.

Since 2012, on top of her restoration work, Iris has been teaching restoration work and her specialised subject of retouching in the UK and abroad, including France, the USA, Japan, Poland and Belgium. During Covid, in 2020, Iris created an online course in restoration work on violin neckgrafts which was published in 2021. Since then, she has offered another online course on crack repair and 3 Zoom lectures which were organised by the Rowan-Armour-Brown Trust.

www.iriscarrrestorations.com

https://iris-carr-restorations-ltd.teachable.com

FRANÇOIS DENIS

Bowed string instruments model design

Born in Angers, this creator has an interdisciplinary approach, combining the sciences, music, art history, and violin making. Initially, he studied the sciences and trained musically, but his true passion for violin making was ignited through research on art history and instrument construction. Since 1983, he has been involved in their creation, focusing on the violin family and delving into the secrets of their geometry and proportions.

In 2006, he published the groundbreaking work "Traité de Lutherie" analysing the mathematical foundations of violin construction and their cultural context. As a researcher, teacher, and practitioner, he regularly conducts lectures and workshops at leading violin making schools worldwide. His innovative approach was recognized in 2000 with a Musicora award for outstanding achievements in the field of violin making. With his interdisciplinary knowledge and passion for combining science, art, and music, he is one of the leading authorities in this field.

CONFERENCE

Forum 2025 invites you to a two-day scientific-artistic conference. This extraordinary gathering will serve as a space for exchanging ideas among representatives from the academic and artistic worlds, apprentices, graduates of the art education system, violin makers and other string instrument builders, musicians, music and art theorists, and specialists connected with lutherie, instrument building, and related fields.

The conference will cover a wide range of topics related to string instruments. Speakers will present an interdisciplinary perspective, encompassing the stylistics, craftsmanship, and artistry of string instruments, as well as the social, economic, and technological conditions of their creation. Special attention will be given to the relationship between scientific research and the practical aspects of instrument building and music, providing participants with new knowledge and inspiration for further development.

International Interdisciplinary Scientific-Artistic Conference "Tradition and modernity in string instruments"

Panel dyskusyjny_konkurs lutniczy 28_10_2023_fot_Seifert_Bartosz 8_edited.jpg

CONFERENCE

Dialogue between culture and science

The main goal of the conference is to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange among a broad spectrum of specialists from various fields related to string instruments. The conference actively promotes interdisciplinary cooperation among scientists, artists, and professionals, seeking and developing innovative approaches and solutions in all the fields presented during the conference.

Organizing this conference is part of Foundation's and Forum 2025's commitment to developing and enriching the academic and professional environment in the areas of science and art. It serves as a space to present interdisciplinary aspects related to string instruments, uniting experts from diverse fields for joint discussion and exchange of experiences. The Kaminski-Harajda Art of Violin Making Foundation hopes that this event will encourage a broad dialogue between culture and science, contributing to a better global understanding and appreciation of the disciplines presented.

PARTICIPATION CONDITIONS AND APPLICATION

📅 November 21-22, 2025 | ZAMEK Culture Centre, Poznań

This conference offers a unique opportunity to participate in debates about string instruments within an interdisciplinary scientific-artistic environment. The event will be held in the prestigious halls of the ZAMEK Culture Centre in Poznań, providing ideal conditions for the exchange of knowledge and experiences in culture and science.

The conference program includes presentations from fields such as lutherie, musicology, acoustics, conservation and restoration of instruments, cultural studies, music psychology, social sciences, music performance, music anthropology, history of instrument construction, historical performance practice, artistic research in music, music philosophy, humanities, organology, and music history.

Conditions for active participation – presentation submission:

Online registration is open from March 17, 2025, to August 15, 2025, through the submission of a registration form.
Required documents: a short biography and an abstract of the presentation (max. 1800 characters).
Each participant may submit only one paper proposal.
A maximum of two speakers may present one paper.

Participants will be informed of their qualification by September 1, 2025, via email. The detailed conference schedule will be published by November 1, 2025.

The possibility of publishing a post-conference publication containing selected papers is being considered, depending on the availability of funds and materials submitted by conference participants.

Conference fees:

Regular fee: 250 PLN
Students and doctoral candidates: 150 PLN

📩 conference@kaminski-harajda.com

FINAL CONCERT

The International Forum for String Instruments 2025 will conclude with a special chamber music concert held at the ZAMEK Culture Centre in Poznań. This concert will mark the culmination of the four-day Forum and serve as a platform for promoting young luthiers – students and recent graduates participating in the event.

During the concert, musicians from Poznań will present the sound of instruments selected from those brought by participants of the masterclass, performing various chamber music pieces. This will provide the audience with an opportunity to hear and appreciate the quality and artistry of the newly created instruments in their natural environment, on stage.

The concert is open to general public, and the detailed program along with the list of performers will be announced soon.

Chamber Music Concert "Because an instrument must play"

Forum 2025 will take place at

ZAMEK Culture Centre in Poznan

www.ckzamek.pl