Simone Fernando Sacconi

Simone Fernando Sacconi (Rome, May 30, 1895 – Point Lookout, June 26, 1973) was an expert Italian violin maker and restorer who studied fellow luthier Antonio Stradivari extensively during his lifetime.

"While still at school he became a workshop assistant to Giuseppe Rossi, a pupil of Degani. By the time he was 16, Sacconi already had his own clientele, and a particular ability as a maker of copies. In 1931 he moved to New York to work for the dealer Emil Herrmann. He continued to make new instruments – and occasionally bows – but his time there was mainly taken up with repairs and restoration work. In this field he had no equal, an example of his work being a Stradivari of the best period, virtually destroyed in an accident in 1948, which now shows no sign of having suffered. In the imitation of old Italian varnish he excelled all rivals.

In 1951, upon the invitation of Rembert Wurlitzer, Sacconi went with his pupil D’Attili to work for Rembert Wurlitzer Co.. A first-class workshop was built up and many of the best American repairers were trained in it. In his last years he spent much time teaching in Cremona, Italy, and published I segreti di Stradivari (Cremona, 1972), setting out in detail Stradivari’s working methods." - Charles Beare

His constant experiments with varnish was almost an obsession. He was one of the principal organizers of the Stradivari Bicentennial Exhibition in Cremona in 1937. Sacconi won gold medal for a quartet of instruments. In 1972, he was bestowed honorary citizenship by Cremona (the highest honor).

In 2012, nine of Sacconi's medals were discovered shortly before they were due to be melted down. Of the medals, one was awarded to Sacconi by his pupils, and is engraved with their names; Segal, Esposti, Zambelli and Bissolotti. Also found was the medal awarded by the City of Cremona, medals marking the bicentennial of the death of Stradivarius, and two wartime medals, awarded for service during World War I.

Sacconi has directly influenced several generations of makers/restorers: Charles Beare, Max Moller, Pierre Vidoudez, Dario D'Attili, Hans Weisshaar, Anthony Wrona, Jacques Francais, Frank Passa, Bernard Millant, Mario F. D'Alessandro, Harry Duffy, Renè Morel, William Salchow, Hans Nebel, Vahakn Nigogosian, C. Ray Ferguson, Carlos Arcieri, David Segal, Carleen M. Hutchins, Francesco Bissolotti, William J. Huggler, Ronald J. Huggle, James Reynold Carlisle. Through his disciples (such as Jacques Francais / Renè Morel), he has influenced makers/restorers such as Samuel Zygmuntowicz, Horacio Piñeiro, Boris Sverdlik, Jerry Pasewicz, Bogaslaw Kieta, David T. Van Zandt, Andrew Dipper, James N. McKean, Christophe Landon, Richard Oppelt, Jonathan Woolston (UK) & from the shop of Hans Weisshaar came Otto Karl Schenk, David Burgess, Tom Wilder,Andreas Mages (Germany) Bruce Carlson (Italy), Wendy and Peter Moes to name a few.

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Wikipedia