Frédéric Chaudière was born into a family of artists. A passionate music lover, he built a few electric guitars before leaving for England at the age of 19 to learn violin making. Back in France, he quickly won international prizes and received commissions from eminent musicians (the Amadeus Quartet, the solo violist of the Berlin Philharmonic, etc.). More information on the Chaudiere Violins website.

Alongside his violin making, he took up painting, writing and sculpting. His novel, Tribulations d’un Stradivarius en Amérique (Actes Sud), has been translated into several languages, and his sculptures and paintings have been exhibited and sold in Europe and the United States. The shows he wrote and directed have been produced at the Théâtre Jacques Cœur, the Opéra de Montpellier and the Opéra de Nice.