VIRGILIO, baroque violin, Montreal 2012
Isabelle Wilbaux has been making violins, violas and cellos for over 30 years.
Isabelle Wilbaux
- Luthier
- 1015a Rue Bélanger, Montréal, Québec H2S 1H1, Canada
- wilbauxi@gmail.com
- wilbauxluthier.com
Born (1965) and raised in the ancient, culturally-rich city of Tournai, Belgium, Master Luthier Isabelle Wilbaux has been crafting her signature violins, violas, and cellos for more than three decades.
Musicians always comment on the power, warmth and beauty of tone in her instruments. This tone is the result of thousands of hours of research, experimentation, and hard work. Her instruments give players what they want most: an extraordinarily rich, balanced and sonorous palette of colours to work with.
Wilbaux received her diploma in 1988 from the International Violin Making School in Cremona, Italy. She went on to study for several years with Philippe Bodart in Besançon (France) and Jose-Maria Lozano in Madrid. She then opened her own workshop, first in Tournai, then in Brussels, and finally in Montreal, where she has thrived since 1998.
Prizes and awards include:
The Violin Society of America – Silver medal for tone (violin), 2004
The Violin Society of America – Various prizes for tone and workmanship: violins, violas and quartets, between1998 and 2018
Concours international de lutherie et d’archèterie de la ville de Paris – Bronze medal,
violin, 1999
Fondation belge de la vocation prize, 1995
Cremona Triennale International – Three prizes, including the Sacconi Prize, viola, 1994
Mittenwald International Violin Making Competition – Prize for best tone, violin, 1993
She is a member of the
American Federation of violin and bow makers
Entente Internationale des Luthiers et Archetiers
Violin Society of America
Isabelle Wilbaux's instruments
