About Violin World

Violin World is dedicated to quality worksmanship, specialising in preservation, repairs, restoration, new making and the sale of fine instruments.

Welcome to Violin World, where the care of your stringed instrument is in the expert hands of John Ferwerda, a prize-winning, certified luthier from the prestigious Mittenwald School of Violin Making.

John specialises in all aspects of stringed instrument craftsmanship, John offers top-quality repairs, restorations, sales, and services for violins, violas, cellos and more.

For musicians seeking a truly unique instrument, John accepts commissions to handcraft bespoke instruments tailored to your needs. He also provides comprehensive services for schools, including discounted pricing for sales, repairs, and maintenance for students of all ages and skill levels.

Local schools benefit from personal pickup, delivery, and one-day turnaround on many repairs, including bow re-hairs.

At Violin World Services, we are committed to exceptional craftsmanship and convenient service to support musicians and educational institutions alike.

Meet John D. Ferwerda

John was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, in 1942 and immigrated to New Zealand with his parents in 1952. His musical journey began at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide, where he studied cello under James Whitehead and later played with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, John pursued the viola da gamba, learning from distinguished masters like Hans Bol, Wieland Kuijken, and Johannes Koch in the Netherlands while performing with the Brabant Symphony Orchestra.

In 1968, John moved to Amsterdam, where he began learning violin making with Rudolf van Merrebach. Encouraged by his mentor, John applied to the prestigious and world-renowned Mittenwald Violin Making School in Bavaria, Germany. This institution is celebrated for its rigorous training and commitment to excellence in craftsmanship, making it a remarkable achievement to gain a certificate from such a school. Out of approximately two thousand applicants, only seven were accepted, including John. He graduated in 1973 after 3 1⁄2 years of intensive study, earning his esteemed certification in violin making.

Beyond his formal education, John continued to deepen his expertise by studying with Hans Klotz and Karl Sandner. He specialized in bow restoration under the guidance of Charles Alfred Bazin in Mirecourt and further honed advanced restoration techniques with Hans Weisshaar in California.

After a brief period in Adelaide, John relocated to Melbourne in 1978, where he has crafted most of his exceptional instruments. His dedication to his craft has earned him two prestigious Violin Society of America Workmanship Awards - one in 1978 for cello and another in 1982 for violin - honoring his significant contributions to the field.

John's prize winning awards and his Violin making certificate from the world-renowned Mittenwald violin making school in Germany.

Check out these videos to learn more about John and his passion for the violin.