I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to a musical family. My father was a pipe organ builder and his business continues today, run by my brother. My mother is an organist and choir director, and my childhood was filled with music. Our area of the United States, the Foothills and Mountains of North Carolina, is rich in traditional folk and fiddle music, and in the early 1970's I was inspired to put my hands to making instruments. After building several small instruments myself, I apprenticed to a local maker and worked in his shop, visiting as many other makers as I could find. In 1976 I moved to Newark-On-Trent, England to attend the Newark School of Violin Making. Upon graduation I returned to Winston-Salem and opened a violin shop , where I made, repaired and restored violins, violas, and cellos. After managing a retail shop for several years, I moved to the country and established a shop in my home, continuing to repair and make. During this time I became actively involved in playing music, further exploring my love of instruments and music.
I travelled to Germany in 2003 to visit my friend and mentor Roger Hargrave, a renowned violin maker, who generously shared his enthusiasm and knowlege with me, inspiring me to return to full-time making. I visited Germany again in 2005, spending the winter with Roger and his co-worker Bertrand Bellin in their workshop, and through their instruction I changed my technique of making to the Cremonese style. Making instruments full time in my workshop in Surry County, I hand craft my violins using the same tools and methods of the classic Italian violin makers of the 1600 and 1700's.
"I have known Joe Thrift for almost four decades. We first met when we started school in Newark-On-Trent, England in the 1970's. He was buzzing right from the start as was the entire intake for that year. We bounced ideas off each other with an intensity that is hard to describe so many years on. It is probably enough simply to mention that our fellow students included Anne Housey, now a senior conservator at the Paris Conservatoire handling Strads and Guarneris on a regular basis. Koen Padding, the well known Dutch varnish maker and one of the world's most respected experts on classical violin varnishes. Brian Lisus, a highly regarded international maker and one of South Africa's most accomplished craftsmen. Malcolm Siddal, a first class freelance restorer who for many years was a lecturer at the Welsh School of Violin Making, John Dilworth, the renowned connoisseur, author and regular contributor to The Stad magazine, and Julie Reed-Yaboah, also a great expert who for twenty years was head restorer at Macholds in New York and is now self employed in-house at Beares in New York. Julie and John are also both experienced judges of international violin making competitions. Whatever the magic was that brought us all together, without doubt it created some of the best exponents of violin making, restoration and expertise to be found anywhere. Joe himself became an accomplished and extremely well known player of traditional American music, and he has made many recordings. But Joe never gave up his passion for violin making and over the years he and I have spent many happy months in my workshop preparing for his recent return to full time making. Joe has an instinctive feel for what makes a good violin and he has the skill to interpret his aspirations. ~ Roger Hargrave ~
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