Lutherie

A peek into lutherie workshops around the world

LUTHIER ELINA KALJUNEN

ALL PHOTOS TUOMO MANNINEN

This mould is made on a Stradivari model, although it’s not one I regularly use. My normal moulds have larger holes, to make it easier for me to remove the rib garland once it’s finished.

LOCATION Helsinki, Finland

I’ve been at this workshop in Töölö, near the centre of Helsinki, for almost eight years. Before that, for more than a decade I was around three miles away from the centre, where the workshop took up the ground floor of my house. The area was nice, but when the bad weather came in the winter, the snowploughs never made it to my street – which wasn’t very good for my customers, who sometimes had to battle through two feet of snow to reach me! Being central is much better for me now, as I’m very close to the Sibelius Academy and the home venues of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. The railway station is also nearby, which is convenient for my customers who come from around Finland and abroad.