Mathias Heinicke (b. 1871, d. 1956) was a Bohemian violin maker.  He studied with Ernst Reinhold Schmidt in Markneukirchen and also in Italy with Eugenio Degani.  During his early years, he was active in Budapest and Berlin and then established himself independently as a maker in Skalna 1897.   His workshop is documented in “Wildstein b. Eger” (Wildstein near Eger) on his labels.  Heinicke developed into a prominent representative of violin makers in Bohemia during the the first half of the 20^th century.  He produced first-rate copies of Italian work, most notably the models of Stradivari and Amati and then evolved to making his own personal models.  Heinicke made excellent use of centuries-old timber reclaimed from churches and his varnishes favored red, orange brown blends giving his violins a lovely patina. The violin is both labeled and fire branded internally on the back plate with the makers name and his workshop location.

The Heinicke violin has a captivating radiant, rich and complex tone.  The sound is like a dark, extraordinary ruby stone with a multitude ofS brillant facets and a strong presence.  This is truly a violin that will blossom and beautifully evolve as you play it and cherish it over time.  What a wonderful lifetime friendship!