Garth Lee

Making in the heart of the community

Music and woodworking have been part of Garth Lee’s life for as long as he can remember. He played piano and trumpet and wanted to play the violin as a child, but there were no violin teachers where he grew up. So he gravitated to woodworking and stayed involved in music and continues to sing in a choir. “I have always thought of violin making as the ultimate woodworking goal,” Garth says.
 
He trained at the prestigious Newark School of Violin Making, studying violins, violas, and cellos from the workshops of Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati, and others. After graduating with Distinction, he worked in partnership with his instructors for a few years before establishing Garth Lee Strings in Winnipeg in 2008. There he quickly gained the attention and respect of the community of professional string players and the wider community.

Art and craft

Garth views instrument making as a unique combination of art and craft. Making beautiful violins is one thing, but they also have to perform well as a musical instrument. “You have to keep the art in mind while you’re doing the craft. The whole way through I’m tapping and flexing and thinking of the physics that are at play. My intuition of what’s going to work is honed every time I make an instrument,” he says. “It’s very exciting when it all comes together. I love the connection of making something and then giving it to a musician who brings it to life.”
 
And he’s just as thrilled making an instrument for an up-and-coming student as he is for a member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO). “It’s amazing when a student comes to my shop and chooses the wood from which their first high-quality instrument is going to be made. They’ve worked so hard to get to where they are and I feel privileged to be a part of their journey.”