SUSTAINABILITY
FUTURE OF VIOLIN-MAKING
PODCASTS
Concept credit: “Lutherie School Environmental Curriculum Program of the International Alliance of Violin and Bow Makers for Endangered Species (Alliance). These podcasts were made possible with a grant provided by the Violin Society of America (VSA).”
Every great acoustic instrument begins its life in the forest. For luthiers and instrument makers, understanding where our wood comes from is no longer just a matter of quality—it’s a matter of sustainability.
This curated series of podcasts dives deep into the complex world of forestry, supply chains, and environmental activism.
From the centuries-old management practices of Switzerland to modern-day climate preserves in Montana, these four episodes challenge us to rethink our role as tonewood consumers and explore how the music industry can help protect the world's most vital ecosystems.
Introduction
► Play EpisodeSustainability
► Play EpisodeRick Bass
► Play EpisodeMountain Voice Tonewood
► Play EpisodeTonewood Switzerland
► Play EpisodePacific Rim Tonewood Part 1
► Play EpisodePacific Rim Tonewood & Northwest Timber
► Play EpisodeBenedict Puglisi
► Play EpisodeEPISODE 01
INTRODUCTION
What happens when the trees used to make violins start disappearing?
We look at a centuries-old craft that is running into a huge problem today—and why saving the sound of music starts in the dirt.
EPISODE 02
SUSTAINABILITY
Can old traditions survive in a warmer world?
Doing things "the way we’ve always done them" won't save our favorite wooden instruments. Here is what builders have to change right now if we want future generations to have violins.
EPISODE 03
RICK BASS
CLIMATE PRESERVES
In this episode of Future of Violin Making, Ceile Kronick interviews acclaimed author and activist Rick Bass to explore what it truly means to preserve a plot of old-growth forest, and why doing so is critical to the larger ecosystem and the long-term health of forests nationwide.
EPISODE 04
MOUNTAIN VOICE TONEWOOD
In this episode of Future of Violin Making, Kathy Reilly interviews Sarah from Mountain Voice Tonewood to shed light on the intricacies of logging and forestry in Canada, and what it takes to run a multi-generational tonewood business.
EPISODE 05
TONEWOOD SWITZERLAND
In this episode of Future of Violin Making, Kathy Reilly and Richard Guler explore the deep roots and modern realities of Swiss alpine forestry, offering a unique perspective on how large-scale sawmill and logging operations intersect with the world of fine instruments.
EPISODE 06
PACIFIC RIM TONEWOOD - PART 01
Can modern science save the violin?
Step inside a workshop where acoustic labs, tree DNA, and new forestry ideas are completely changing how people build instruments.
EPISODE 07
PACIFIC RIM TONEWOOD - PART 02
From the deep woods of the Pacific Northwest straight to the concert hall. Meet the people who decide which trees get cut down, which stay standing, and how picking the right tree makes a violin sound better.
EPISODE 08
BENEDICT PUGLISI
Violin maker Benedict Puglisi talks straight about his craft.
What do you do when the historic instruments need repairs, but the wood you need to fix them is almost gone?
ANNIE PERKINS & THE SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE (SFI)
What does sustainable wood sourcing actually look like on the ground? Annie Perkins joins us to break down the practical side of the industry: defining true sustainability, mitigating climate change, and monitoring complex supply chains. Since the early 1990s, SFI has been building robust, verifiable supply chains for commercial wood suppliers. Now, we explore how that exact framework could be applied to the specialized world of violin and instrument making.
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