Ryan McLaughlin, Luthier and Founder of MCLAUGHLIN VIOLINS

Ryan McLaughlin has been working on instruments since he started playing bass guitar at age 14. He went on to play double-bass, eventually attending the Brevard Music Festival as a bassist when he was 17. There, his counselor was the in-house luthier, and Ryan’s eyes were opened to what would become a lifelong passion.

Ryan attended the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City, Utah. Upon graduating from the four year program in 1999, Ryan joined the staff at Michael Becker Fine Violins in Park Ridge, Illinois. In 2006, Ryan moved to Atlanta to become the Workshop Manager at Williams Gengakki Violins. Since that time he started his own workshop, first in Atlanta, and now in Chicago’s Fine Arts Building.

Then in January of 2020, Ryan began making bows. That effort, initially undertaken so that he might have the same understanding of bows and their properties as he had with instruments after his many years of working with them, has turned into a side gig. Ryan now makes bows from his shop at his home on his days off.

Ryan is a member of both the American Federation of Violin and bow makers, and the Violin Society of America. He has served on the Board of Directors for both organizations. Ryan also served as the Competition Committee Chair for the Violin Society, Organizing and running the Instrument and Bow Making Competition for that group in 2016 and 2018.

Ryan has also been a regular at the Violin Society of America’s (VSA) Violin Restoration Workshop in Oberlin, Ohio. There he worked with the late Rene Morel, John Becker, Andrew Fairfax, Jerry Pasewicz, Joseph Grubaugh, Rodney Mohr, David Orlin, Jeff Holmes, Guy Rabut, Marilyn Wallin, and David Burgess.

lu·thi·er

lü-tē-ər: one that makes or repairs stringed instruments such as violins, violas, and cellos.

Ryan McLaughlin has served on the board of directors of the Violin Society of America, and the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers.

michael Kijowski, luthier

Michael has been a musician all his life, playing violin from a very young age in addition to being a guitarist. He has always had an interest in making and repairing instruments despite his experience across many genres of performance. When he was 12 years old he began reading all the Violin Making books in the libraries of Chicago. So after receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Music, he decided to attend the Chicago School of Violin Making. Since then he has graduated and made a living as a luthier in the Chicago area, repairing and building countless violin family instruments. In the time that he doesn’t spend making violins, he enjoys working on cars, biking, and long distance running! See him here holding a violin he made and his Chicago Marathon medal.

Lize DreyeR, Sales Associate

Lize recently completed her Masters in cello performance at DePaul University. Originally from South Africa, Lize grew up in a family of classical music lovers. She began playing cello at age 13 and was lucky enough to meet Paul York, professor of cello at the University of Louisville, after her family relocated to the area when she was fifteen. Lize stayed in Louisville to complete her BM in order to continue studying with Mr. York. After completing her undergraduate studies, Lize moved to Chicago to pursue her MM with former CSO assistant principal cellist Steve Balderston. Since moving to Chicago, Lize has been able to play frequently with ensembles such as the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Oistrakh Symphony, and Music of the Baroque Chicago. Lize became passionate about instrument history and care during her two years in Chicago, and can’t wait to learn more from Ryan and Mike!

Feel free to reach out to Lize at lize@mclaughlinviolins.com