Igino Sderci was born in Gaiole/ Chianti, Italy. He devoted his entire career to violin making, studying under master maker Leandro Bisiach. A very prolific maker making more than 700 instruments including many large violas. He won gold medals at the prestigious Stradivarius Exhibition at Cremona in 1937 marking the bicentenary of Stradivari's death. From his earliest childhood Igino Sderci was interested in music & art. He studied sculpture in Siena and had a gift for wood carving. Worked as a sculptor and carver for his uncles Tito and Giuseppe Corsini in Siena, who were in the business of making quality furniture with ‘richly carved decorations’. He made his first violin without supervision. In 1917 Igino Sderci was introduced through his brother to Leandro Bisiach, who recognized the young man's skills and took him under his wing. Under Leandro's guidance, Igino refined his skills working with the Bisiachs until Leandro's departure back to Milan in 1922. Igino Sderci moved to Florence shortly after to establish his own workshop. Igino Sderci copied the models of Stradivarius and Guarneri and reflected their influence as his instruments are full of character and made with utmost care. Without exception he used wood of the highest quality and fine varnish mainly of an amber-yellow shade. He passed away at the age of 99 on May 24, 1983 in Florence. Igino trained his son, Luciano Sderci, in the craft of violin making as well. Luciano went on to achieve much of the same success as his father, garnering awards in Cremona and Rome as well.
Instruments
"The internal structure of his instruments reveal the choice of red willow for the lining and the corner blocks. The carved technique of the lining and the incision where these meet the corner blocks are always perfect. The f-holes and scroll are perfectly cut and the spiral line of the scroll is always precise." - 'I Maestri Del Novecento' - Carlo Vettori Below is a fine example of this masters work. A very beautiful instrument made as a copy of Andrea Guarneri in 1924 label reads: "Iginius Sderci fece Siena l'anno 1924"
World Record Auction price October, 2007 Tarisio Auctions US$ 35,100 - tarisio Igino Sderci has been called "one of Italy's very best makers. Excellent tone qualities.". "As is known, after the death of the last great Cremonese Masters after the middle of the 18th century, only the Cerutis remained in Cremona to prevent that memorable tradition from dying out completely. It was the Antoniazzis who undertook the task of transferring the scant knowledge saved from oblivion from Cremona to Milan. However the most important event for the renaissance of violin-making in Lombardy was certainly the meeting between Riccardo Antoniazzi and Leandro Bisiach; the latter, thanks to his talent, his taste and his business ability succeeded in founding, at the end of the 19th century, a workshop which soon gained international fame. Bisiach was an outstanding figure in the commerce of antique violins but above all had the merit of raising a generation of great luthiers, among whom for example Sderci, Pietro Borghi, Giuseppe Ornati and Ferdinando Garimberti come to mind." -
