Gliga's 15th Anniversary

Near the 'Italian Valley' of the Transylvanian forests lies one of Romania's most successful family-owned operations, the Gliga Group. Master violin maker Vasile Gliga supplies his passion for creating elegantly affordable stringed instruments with the highly-prized Carpathian spruce and flamed maple of the region. These are also the same forests that famous Italian antique violin makers valued for the construction of their legendary instruments, sought after by today's top violin players at astronomical prices. For over a decade, the Gliga Group has handcrafted and distributed violins and other fine stringed instruments from their workshops in Reghin, Romania, a place increasingly being recognized for its violin manufacturing excellence. From here, eye-catching student/professional grade Gliga violins, as well as violas, cellos, double basses, and instrument accessories are shipped to different parts of the globe. The Gliga name is quickly becoming world-renowned for high-quality European violins that everyone can enjoy.

Now celebrating his 15th anniversary, master violin maker Vasile Gliga continues the tradition of Romanian makers who have passed on high-quality violin construction from master to apprentice for centuries. A complex and sophisticated instrument, the violin has enchanted and inspired many generations of violin makers as well as Romanian folk and professional musicians such as George Enescu. Romania has a long cultural tradition of creative expression and experience with every facet of the violin's use and construction. Today Gliga has helped to bring about a revolution in violin manufacturing by providing reasonably priced European stringed instruments to world markets of a quality that would otherwise be unaffordable to the majority of people.

An accomplished luthier brings to the art of violin-making a skillful balance of high-quality materials and workmanship along with a passionate expression of personal creativity that lends itself to the complete musical experience of the instrument. When a musician picks up an instrument, the subtle relationship between the environmental conditions of the wood and the luthier's precision and care for its design come through the voice of the played strings. It takes a special tree of the perfect age (between 150 and 200 years old), grown at the correct altitude (over 1000 m), in the right conditions (on Northern sunny slopes with high humidity, a short vegetation period, and without strong winds) to produce a dense homogenous wood for superior tonal quality and aesthetic beauty. The historical Italian violin masters prized Romanian wood, both for its beauty and resonant quality, thus giving the desirable Transylvanian forests of the Gurghiului Valley their nickname, the 'Italian Valley'. The time-tested combination of curly maple and highly resonant spruce that are found in this region have consistently provided the best sounding violins that are also exquisitely pleasing to the eye.

The Gliga Group produces a full range of violins including student, school, professional, maestro, and special versions as well as violas, cellos, double basses, and accessories. The Genial and Gems line of beginner and student violins are handcrafted in Gliga's workshops in coordination with the violin-maker with the same resonant spruce and flamed maple of more professional instruments, but at an affordable price for amateur musicians. Professional Gama instruments are assembled under direct supervision of the violin maker to achieve exceptional quality for the experienced musician. Maestro instruments are created for superior sound and craftsmanship. A Gliga Maestro violin is formed with the perfect blend of exceptional woods, attention to workmanship, premium finishing materials, and passion for the craft on which Gliga has built his increasingly worldwide reputation. The Gliga Group also offers specially designed stringed instruments as well as premium accessories such as bows, cases, strings, and much more.

Like the curly maple fibers that are found only in one out of every thousand tree, each Gliga violin is unique despite its label of production. Once a violin is played it will open itself up to the full range of the musician's direction and personal style. The wood used by Gliga to produce his instruments is aged up to twelve years and like with other delicacies, the fundamental soul of the sound is revealed slowly over time. At whatever level of musicianship you find yourself, Gliga will provide you with a high-quality and affordable instrument that will expand your love of music.