A Fine Contemporary American Viola By Raymond Melanson, 2003. 418mm or 16 1/2.”

Raymond Melanson studied art and violin performance at the University of Lowell and took additional courses at the University of Rhode Island as his first forays into woodworking after graduation. He studied bow work with Arnold Bone and instrument repair with Hans Nebel before enrolling in the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City, Utah. During which, he worked at Prior Violins. He continued working for Prior until 1983, when he became a founding instructor at the North Bennet Street School’s violin-making program in Massachusetts, where he taught for four years before committing himself entirely to the making of new instruments. He has won 14 awards from the Violin Society of America and received a Gold Medal for tone at the Art of Sound International Competition in 2012. Melanson has crafted over 300 instruments to date, placing them in the hands of soloists, recording artists, and the sections of major orchestras the world over.

This Melanson viola from 2003 features a beautiful selection of tone woods, with a two piece maple back measuring 418mm or just a shade under 16 1/2” in length. The neck is thinner; very comfortable in the hand and yielding an easy balance on the shoulder. Likewise, the upper bout measures 200mm, making the 14 5/8” string length effortless to navigate in the upper positions. Precision and attention to detail are readily evident, not to understate the grace of their execution - it is abundantly clear why Melanson’s instruments are so highly coveted from examination of this viola, not even to speak of its voice. I dare say, you won’t want to put it down.