A Contemporary American Viola By Todd Goldenberg, 2020. 15 3/4.”

Todd Goldenbberg’s path to becoming a violin maker began with a degree in botany from the University of New Hampshire. Todd began to pursue his passion by moving to Portland Oregon where he studied with guitar maker Rob Ehlers. A move to Chicago was intended to expand his training in guitar-making, but, once there, Todd was hired at Bein and Fushi and he has been a violin maker ever since. Todd next moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan where he began a nine-year tenure with Shar Products Company. In 1987 Todd settled in North Berwick, Maine and opened his own violin studio in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Todd has taught violin making at the North Bennett Street School in Boston. He was part of a co-operative group of violin makers in Waltham, Massachusetts where he worked alongside other New England makers. The wonderful camaraderie Todd experienced was marked by intense exchanges of ideas about all facets of violin making. Within this violin makers’ community, Todd expanded his repertory of instrument making techniques and developed new perspectives on his craft. Since 2015 Todd has been an instructor alongside Joe Robson and Marilyn Wallin at the .“Practical and Artistic Violin Varnishing” workshops. In 2019 Todd became the Co-Director of the “Practical and Artistic Violin Varnishing” program. In 2018 Todd began teaching violin making at the UNH Violin Craftsmanship institute in Durham, NH.

The fruit of isolation fueled labor, this Goldenberg viola was crafted during the Covid pandemic of 2020. With a back length of just 400 mm, this viola boasts a voice that belies its smaller size - crisp and articulate, with a richly colored core sound that at once speaks easily and offers more resistance than you could hope to overpower. I was seriously impressed, to say the least. 

Detailed Measurements: 

Back Length: 400mm.
String Length: 14 5/16.,” 370mm.
Upper Bout: 195mm.
Lower Bout: 246mm.