ABOUT Me

Shan Jiang started to study violin making in 1990 with his father, Mr. Yunkai Jiang, who was an associate professor of violin making at Shenyang Conservatory of Music. From 1994 to 1998, Shan Jiang studied violin making in the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where he graduated with a Master’s degree in violin making, the first person in China to do so.

In 1998, two of Shan Jiang’s violins won the sixth and ninth prizes in the violin making division of the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition. He has won a silver medal for violin workmanship from the Violin Society of America (VSA) competition in 2004, and won a certificate of Merit for Violin Tone in the VSA competition in 2006.

The instruments from Shan Jiang are made with great craftsmanship and sensitivity. The violins are modeled on 18th century Cremonese masterpieces. Top grade domestic and European wood is used, and workmanship upon every part of the instrument is executed in the traditional manner. Varnish, the ultimate ingredient, is given much attention by Shan Jiang. It is prepared with linseed or walnut oil with natural resins, as described in historical literature. Antiquing is often incorporated in the varnishing process to add refinement to the final appearance. One also finds modern techniques used in the shop. For example, plate tuning techniques adopted from modern acoustical research are used to enhance the tone quality.

Numerous professional violinists remain in close contact with Shan Jiang, many of whom have purchased his instruments, including violin faculty Xiao Wang, Byung Kook Kwak in Manhattan School of Music, Duoming Ba in New York Philharmonic, Yuncong Zhang of Boston Symphy Orchestra, Quan Yuan of MET, and Grammy awards winners Timothy Ying, Elmar Oliveira etc.