{"id":89438,"date":"2025-01-09T09:51:10","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T16:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=89438"},"modified":"2025-03-17T17:28:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T00:28:36","slug":"the-violin-virtuoso-of-leeds-kevin-lees-quest-for-perfection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/the-violin-virtuoso-of-leeds-kevin-lees-quest-for-perfection\/","title":{"rendered":"The Violin Virtuoso of Leeds: Kevin Lee\u2019s Quest for Perfection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Utah photographer Steve Coray was influential in the early days of 15 Bytes\u2014this was the early aughts, back when our pages were hand-coded in html, we put out a monthly edition and no one was getting paid. Steve acted as our first image editor, helped with design questions and was happy to write some short pieces. Most importantly, he provided much needed enthusiasm for the whole haphazard project (for which he may deserve praise or blame). Eventually, Steve went on to more remunerative projects (though we’re pretty sure he pined for the “good ole days”). He has recently retired and we\u2019re excited to announce that he reached out to see where we are at and if he can, once again, help out. To which we responded with an enthusiastic yes.<\/em><\/p>\n

We asked Steve what he\u2019s been up to lately. Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, he traveled across the country for a year, adding to his massive archive of images along the way. He has an eye for wildlife and wild places. And he\u2019s developed a definite interest in rodeos. Looking through the variety of stories and sights he has captured, we thought this one, from May, 2022, might be a good way to re-introduce our audience to Steve Coray<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Hidden away in Leeds, Utah (population about 1000), there is a man who claims to be the best violin maker\u00a0in the world.<\/em> Kevin Lee<\/a> stakes a confident claim to being the only living Master Luthier, and that his violins are on par with, or even better than, those of Stradivarius and Guarneri. The trouble is that there is no foolproof way to prove or disprove his claims.<\/h4>\n

One compelling endorsement was provided in 1999 by Jacques Francais, the then-world’s foremost dealer-appraiser-connoisseur. He provided Lee with an insurance appraisal of $30,000 for one of the luthier’s violins. Unfortunately, Francais has since passed away.<\/h4>\n

These days, Lee backs up his claim with lots and lots of data. From a lifetime of intense study, to arranging blind sound tests against famous violins, to the responses of gushy professional concert violinists, to positive (but guarded) responses from the top four dealers in the world. He has also collected countless rare books on violin making, has traveled the world to see and play the best violins. He has examined the Smithsonian’s collection of violins (and not just the ones on public display), even restringing some for the museum.<\/h4>\n

\"Wooden<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Lee buys only the best, most expensive woods. He has reproduced or improved on the past masters’ varnishes. He has studied how minute changes to f-holes can improve sound. In short, he has spent a lifetime obsessively diving deeper and deeper into how to produce the very best violins\u00a0<\/span>in the world. (See\u00a0https:\/\/www.kevinleeluthier.com<\/a>)<\/h4>\n

So why is he not in New York, or London, or Italy? He says that the climate in Leeds is perfect for aging and curing violin wood. Far better than that of Cremona, Italy, where Stradivarius made his. Does that damage his branding? Well, yes. But Kevin Lee is ALL about making the best violin<\/a>s. Period. No compromise.<\/h4>\n

He has spent several fortunes traveling, promoting, learning, exploring, making new connections … generally, marketing. But the process is complicated, and complete success in that arena is rare for any luthier.<\/h4>\n

The trouble is that getting any one of the four most prominent dealers to endorse the quality of his violins, or any other current luthier’s, is nearly impossible. There is too much risk in impacting their own reputations, and bottom line profits, to give him his due.<\/h4>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Also, whether it’s dealers, collectors or musicians, everybody wants “old,” he says. Everybody wants “name.” It is the same with the world’s top musicians. Even when they agree that his instrument sounds superior, they risk negative publicity for playing a violin without the recognized credentials.<\/h4>\n

Ahhh… politics. Ahhh, business. He can’t sell in Utah because buyers would only pay a fraction of what the instruments deserve. In fact, most of his sales are overseas. And since Covid eliminated a vast majority of live concert performances, the demand for fine instruments has at least temporarily plummeted. It’s a constant struggle.<\/h4>\n

He is not alone in that struggle. In fact, Stradivarius, who was independently very,\u00a0<\/span>very wealthy, made almost nothing from his violins, and even donated a lot of them. Guarneri, in the shadow of his mentor, Stradivarius, struggled to even make a living and died young (46).<\/h4>\n

So what is Kevin Lee’s solution? Simply to keep making the very finest violins. To keep plugging away at gaining proper recognition. To\u00a0<\/span>not\u00a0<\/span>compromise.<\/h4>\n