Paolo Marks - Instrument Maker

Paolo Marks was born in 1976 in Vancouver,Canada. His father a professional violinist, instilled a deep love of music within Paolo's young spongy brain which in the course of his 30 years has squeezed out in many interesting ways.

At the age of 6 he discovered the cello and immediately set out to tame it, in order that he might join with his father and older brother in the playing of string trios. As the years passed the trio grew into a quartet, quintet, and then sextet as 3 younger brothers were born and then added unto the family group their individual string instrumental offerings.

When it came time to leave the nest, Paolo flew to the music school mecca of Bloomington, Indiana. Here under the mighty presence of old famous cellist, Janos Starker, he honed his cello playing skills and was introduced to the cut throat, practice crazy world of the professional classical musician. After 3 years he had had enough. He set out on a vision quest across the country in a 1978 Itasca motor home, and when he returned to Bloomington that next fall, enrolled in the String Instrument Technology program headed by luthier Thomas Sparks. This comprehensive 2 year course specializes in the making and repair of violin family instruments and allowed Paolo to explore his other love, making things with his own hands. A love given to him through his Dutch mother , who along with her 8 siblings inhabits a world where nothing can't be fixed and everything is better when made by hand.

Paolo began to wriggle and squirm in the fascinating world of luthiery. After receiving his degree in String Instrument Technology, Paolo fired up the old motor home once again and headed north to the highlands of Cape Breton,Nova Scotia. Here he began an apprenticeship with Master luthier Otis Thomas, and figured it was time to learn how to play the fiddles he was making as well. Then his Dutch roots pulled him across the Atlantic where instrument in hand he began scoping out Holland's world famous violin making tradition. He apprenticed with Guust Francois in Amsterdam and Johann Jacobs in Middelburg before returning to his grandfathers old home in Virginia to set up a shop of his own- The Mount Gilead Violin Works. It was here where you could find him sitting contentedly behind the work bench making and fixing
instruments,

You may contact him at 304-653-2037, HC 64, Box 274, Hillsboro, WV 24946 or or paolomarks@yahoo.com.

Violin maker Paolo Marks of Hillsboro taught a class in fiddle repair at Pocahontas Woods. See photos here.