Esteemed and treasured Korean-American luthier and pedagogue Tschu Ho Lee (b. 1932, d. 2024) recently passed away at age 91. Lee was born Seoul while Korea was under Japanese occupation and under these challenging life conditions, he trained as a violinist and sculptor. Happily for us string musicians he elected to become a luthier and relocated to Mittenwald, Germany in the 1960’s. After graduating with highest honors, he extended education in Germany with Josef Kantuscher. Oh yes, Lee was also was decorated with the Meisterbrief and a medal or two. Around 1970, Lee ventured to Chicago where he worked for Kenneth Warren & Sons transitioning to head teacher of the workshop’s new School of Violin Making. Lee was revered for crafting his violins with meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of tonal excellence. Over the years, he was a significant mentor to luthiers.
Claire Givens is offering the 273rd violin made out of the 300+ violins made by Lee thus you will be thrilled trying a violin benefitting from decades of Lee’s experience. The Lee violin is strikingly handsome and fits organically into the hand. When played, the violin is concise, bold, and every note is crystal clear. It is pretty exciting to play! The Lee is quite the refined extrovert! If you want to try a violin that is super responsive and is a little “out of the box” and could make a real impression on your professional or conservatory career, check #273 out!