Jamie Marie Lazzara
BiographyJamie Marie Lazzara was born in 1959 in Urbana, Illinois, USA. At age 8 she began playing the violin. During his youth, Jamie began working with leather, pottery and batik. Later in the California State University at Long Beach, she began working with technical drawings, designs and carvings. At the same time she played in the university orchestra.1979 she settled in Florence and participated in the International University of Art to restore the art. 1981 she graduated with a master's in rehabilitation. Between 1981 to 1985 she lived in Cremona to study at the School of Violin Making and graduated in Maestro Giorgio Scolari. 1987 Jamie opened her own studio in Florence where she builds and restores instruments. Jamie Marie Lazzara on visitI met Jamie Marie Lazzara in the studio in Florence in 2004 and later commanded Ideale Leonardo da Vinci Society in Karlskrona in Sweden. In spring 2006, she came and visited with her she had two of Renaissance instruments. One is a Lira da Braccio and a Testa di Cavallo.Jamie has built both the instruments himself. Lira, the braccio is built according to a copy made by Giovanni Andrea da Verona years 1511th The original is preserved in Kunsthistorische museum in Vienna. Lira de Braccio is a precursor to the violin. The modern violin was developed during the last part of the 1500's in Italy. Testa di Cavallo, Jamie built after a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci. The name Testa di Cavallo means horse's head. The instrument is played by snapping his fingers on the strings. Unique violinsJamie specializes in making violins of soloist quality with perfect balance between the four strings at the same time maintain the brilliance of the E-string and rich natural g-string.Each of her instrument is adapted to suit its owner's style, including such things as carefully modeled neck and other details that make them easy to use. Jamies violins are owned and used by major players as Itzhak Perlman, Sally Thomas, Sarn Oliver, Micha Molthoff, Charlton Lee, Christopher Kranyak, Kathrine Hubley, Diana Vuolo and many others. Her production is limited to four violins a year and the waiting list is long. Leonardo repertoireJamie is one of few in the world that plays on a Lira de Braccio. Her repertoire consists of folk music from 14-1500 century Tuscany. Leonardo da Vinci was born and raised in the same area and he also played on a Lira de Braccio. Perhaps it was some of the music pieces are also in his repertoireJamie Marie Lazzaras official page |
 
     Jamie Marie Lazzara and her husband in his shop in Florence. |