Hugh Withycombe 'Searra' Viola 16" Canberra Australia 2017

This viola was made by Hugh Withycombe in 2017, in Canberra. Hugh Withycombe trained at the Newark School of Violin Making, graduating in 2001, before working with Florian Leonhard Fine Violins and Frederick Phelps in London. He returned to Australia and established his workshop in Canberra, where he has spent more than two decades making instruments for musicians in Australia and the United States. Since 2015, Withycombe has been a faculty member at the Oberlin Violin Makers Workshop. His work combines classical European violin-making traditions with a visual and material sensibility shaped by the Australian landscape. Withycombe makes violins, violas and cellos, with each instrument developed in response to the qualities of its materials. His extensive experience in restoration and repair informs his meticulous approach to setup and sound optimisation. The viola is labelled "Withycombe & Van Zandt / Canberra Oberlin Seattle / 2017". The body measures 408mm along the back, 196mm across the upper bouts and 242mm across the lower bouts. It has a one-piece back of slab-cut maple with well-matched ribs and scroll, and the top is a broadly grained spruce. The viola is finished with an amber varnish and ebony fittings. 

It is best characterised as rich and resonant, with even the stronger colours in the lower register being accessible with little effort. The sound has a vibrant complexity to it and is projected very clearly, easily filling small rooms and larger halls alike, making this viola stand out particularly well as a soloistic instrument. It also responds well at a variety of contact points, allowing for a variety of expressive techniques to be used quickly and effectively. 

Please contact us if you would like to book an appointment to try this beautiful Australian viola.