Franziska Gerstner

Franziska Gerstner, born in Ulm, Germany, made her first violin at age 17 in the workshop of her father, who is a violin maker in Ulm. She went to high school focusing on music and after graduation moved to England for her violin making training. At the NSVM violin making school in Newark she immersed herself in the world of violin making.

Her first job after graduation introduced her to the bows of the string instrument family. In New York City she had the opportunity to work for one year in the workshop of Isaac Salchow, an esteemed bow maker and expert. During her time there she did both repairs and rehairs of old French bows.

Back in Europe, she worked in the workshop of Gregor Walbrodt for four years, where she continued to repair and rehair bows and was introduced to the making of new bows.

Since January 2021, she now works independently as a bow maker in her workshop in Berlin-Kreuzberg.