About the Luthier
Dmitry Badiarov is a luthier, violinist, and creator of musical possibilities.
Since 2003, he’s been the world’s premier maker of the violoncello da spalla from his workshop in The Netherlands.
His instruments are played by renowned soloists including Sergey Malov and Sigiswald Kuijken. As a performer, he’s toured internationally and recorded multiple baroque repertoire CDs.
He’s the author of ‘Da Spalla’ and ‘On Fine Violin Making,’ books that show string-players how being meaningfully different matters more than being marginally better.
His path wasn’t typical.
At age 7, he was dismissed for “having no aptitude for music.
At age 8, he found a professor who taught a different relationship with music.
When his classmates played expensive Italian instruments, he had only a crude German violin. So he apprenticed to a master and learned to make his own.
His first violin won a competition diploma. It didn’t sound like his classmates’ Guarneris, but he got something they couldn’t buy:Â
A different story.
Today, Dmitry works with musicians who understand that distinction comes from being meaningfully different, not marginally better.
His approach to lutherie isn’t about copying Stradivari from posters. It’s about understanding ancient Masters’ methods and helping musicians become co-creators of their musical identity, with the violoncello da spalla, baroque or modern violins, violas, cellos.
Musicians from across the world visit his workshop or connect virtually to discover how the violoncello da spalla might transform their musical journey.Â
Being good earns respect. Being remarkable creates opportunities.
