Lucy Riou

Born in Paris, Lucy Riou was immersed in music and the Arts from an early age and this naturally led to studies in Applied Arts at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d’Art in Paris.

Following several years working as a designer and model maker, her passion for music and especially violin, converged with her desire to create unique objects. It was after meeting Paris-based violin maker, Guy Coquoz that she discovered her true vocation: violin making. She began her initiation in violin making at his workshop, before joining the Newark International School of Violin Making in England in 2008.

During her training in Newark, she was fortunate to receive a scholarship that enabled her to take up an internship with David Rattray at the Royal Academy of Music in London, as well as working in his personal workshop dedicated to violin making. This gave her the opportunity to see first-hand a selection of prestigious instruments, discover the characteristics of the Cremonese and Brescian models and develop her skills in restoration.

In 2012, after graduating from Newark, and to broaden her horizons, she took up an internship in Canada at the workshop of Isabelle Wilbaux in Montreal. During this time, under Isabelle’s supervision, Lucy made her first viola. This encounter proved to be a great source of inspiration and further broadened her perception of making quartet instruments.

For the past 13 years, Lucy has been working with Schönau & Tardif Luthiers in Quebec City, currently specializing in the repair and restoration of period instruments. She perfected her skills alongside Guillaume Schönau, with whom she enjoys improving her restoration techniques and adjusting the sound of quartet instruments, and thanks to Guillaume, she has the unique opportunity to work alongside the instruments from the exceptional CANIMEX collection.

Drawing on her experience and sensibility to the visual and sonic beauty of 17th and 18th century Italian master instruments, Lucy now builds violins and violas in her personal workshop, aiming for the highest standards of craftsmanship and sound quality.

She is delighted and honored to be a member of the Collectif Lutherie Montreal and the The Makers’ Forum.