Kurt with Aaron Rosand
“I consider Kurt Widenhouse to be one of the finest makers of our time. Along with my 1741 Guarneri del gesu, my 2000 Widenhouse travels with me everywhere I perform throughout the world.”
Aaron Rosand
Virtuoso violin soloist
“Kurt’s violins are simply phenomenal. They produce an exquisite tone that is seldom found in modern instruments. I often switch back and forth between my 1702 Stradivarius and 2008 Widenhouse for concerts and people have no idea!”
Ray Chen
Ray Chen
Virtuoso violin soloist
“I’ve heard and played many of the great old Italian violins, and so far my Widenhouse is the equal to any of them. It has power, color and depth, and I find it elevates my level of playing. I would recommend one of Kurt’s instruments to anyone who is serious about acquiring a great violin.”
Charles Wetherbee
Charles Wetherbee
Concertmaster and concert soloist
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra
“My Widenhouse violin has exceptional sound …perfect. I will play The Four Seasons at Solar Piazzola in March and play it when recording with the orchestra.”
Emerson Kretschmer
Concertmaster and soloist, Orquestra Sinfonica De Porto Alegre (OSPA), Brazil
“I can always count on my Widenhouse to respond exactly the way I want it to. Kurt’s instruments have a beautiful, powerful sound that never loses its sweetness. These are qualities that we normally associate with the finest instruments by the great Italian makers.”
Alexander Belavsky
The Lyric Opera Orchestra of Chicago
“When I bought my Widenhouse in 1995, I was overjoyed that I had finally found an instrument that I loved. My only question was, ‘How will the sound change with time?’ It’s only gotten better and continues to grow richer. I have had numerous inquiries after performances. People ask what kind of vintage Italian violin I am playing.
After trying dozens of violins for years, I feel I would have to pay vastly more to find something comparable. With my Widenhouse, I can always rely on the fact that the open, rich, homogenous sound will be there.”
Julie Kurtzman
Lucerne Symphony Orchestra
“The violin that I’ve played for the last couple of years is made by Kurt Widenhouse. For me, it is one of the most beautiful instruments made in our time. It has a very warm tone, a strong and even sound and a very comfortable fingerboard. I’ve played this violin in many concert halls – it’s just fantastic!”
Alexandre Brussilovsky, Ensemble de solistes Ricercata de Paris; concert soloist www.suoniecolori.com
“Extremely clear, resonant and powerful.”
Ann Palen, The Lyric Opera Orchestra of Chicago
“…This particular concert was ostensibly a showcase for John Montgomery’s 1708 Stradivarius violin and for Deborah and Richard Ruggero’s Bosendorfer Imperial piano. Montgomery paused to also credit the cello maker, Kurt Widenhouse, of Belmont, NC. For this reviewer, the cello made the program. Given the perfection of both the Stradivarius and the Bosendorfer, always dependably controlled by the artists, the two European instruments were upstaged…by the cello built in Charlotte as it soared into the aforementioned eminently recognizable first principal theme of the Mendelssohn Trio…With its appassionato statement , the cello gave the violin a run for the money. For me, the cello graciously dominated the program.”
Mary Nordstrom, Classical Voice North Carolina www.cvnc.org
Overtones at Bosendorfer Hall
Raleigh, NC: May 30, 2004 —Trio, Op. 49, by Felix Mendelssohn
