From Brushes To Bows: A North Macedonian Violin Maker's Pursuit Of The Perfect Sound

Svetozar Bogdanovski carefully inspects a piece of wood at his atelier in Veles, North Macedonia. He selects the wood, which is sourced from trees that are more than 500 years old, for his violins.

Before he started making world-class musical instruments, Bogdanovski spent his life as a painter and said he never had any intention of making the switch from brushes to bows.

Bogdanovski checks the sound of the wood.

Bogdanovski began making violins after realizing he was unable to afford a quality instrument for his talented young son Kostadin that would allow him to realize his potential as a musician.
 

Photos of Bogdanovski's children and grandchildren are displayed in his atelier. All of his progeny play violins that he made.

What began as a hobby has grown into an obsessive search for the perfect sound. "The sound became an obsession," he says. "What used to be painting on canvas became a search for the color of sound; the volume and strength of the sound became my daily occupation."

Feeding that obsession required an insatiable determination to learn the craft and take on the vast knowledge and varied techniques required to produce an instrument of the highest quality. 

“For many, it was illogical, but I didn’t think much about what I was getting myself into. I was determined to succeed,” he says.

Violin making is “very complex, delicate, and requires substantial knowledge,” as well as specific tools and materials, Bogdanovski explains. He adds that when he began his journey as a violin master, “there was no Internet or YouTube, like today. The literature I had was very poor.”

"You need to immerse yourself in the profession itself -- the construction of the instrument, the construction of the sound -- harmonizing everything that makes the instrument play the best sound," he says.

One of the most important materials is "highly acoustic" wood such as spruce and maple, which, fortunately for Bogdanovski, is found nearby in the mountains of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The last crucial element to making the violin sing is the bow, which Bogdanovski calls a "special chapter of its own" in the painstaking process of manufacturing a violin.

"It requires knowledge of the highest technology, resins, essential oils, and balms. These are found in different areas; they need to be procured, collected, and their character studied so a bow can be made that is elastic, tough, and durable," he explains.  

As the quality of Bogdanovski's craftsmanship improved and his children grew into master violinists playing their father’s handmade instruments, the word got out among leading musicians. They would travel from far and wide to come to his workshop, either to fix their own violins or to purchase one of his. 

“The reason is the good sound, and the good word travels far,” he says.

Bogdanovski has garnered international recognition and awards for his violins.

"Today, my violins are compared with those of the best classical masters of the Italian Classical era. It is a great pleasure that we have reached such a high level," he says.

He believes that much of his success can be attributed to his “artistic intuition,” unlike other luthiers who prefer a more technical approach. 

 

After more than 30 years of perseverance, Bogdanovski’s thirst for the perfect sound still has not been quenched.

"Where is the end of this search for the perfect tone? I think that there is no end because the tone is fluid, like the eternal search for the philosopher’s stone in the workshops of the alchemists," he says.

Bogdanovski listens as his wife, Marija -- a professional violinist -- tests the sound of one of his new creations.

Beyond the quest for tonal quality, new challenges are always presenting themselves to this master craftsman. His 10-year-old grandson has also taken up the violin, giving Bogdanovski the chance to inspire another generation of musicians and bring joy to his family. 

“This is a big reason why we move on,” Bogdanovski says. “I made him a violin and it sounds beautiful in his hands. As they grow, so will their needs, and I hope that this story will last for a long time.”