Meet the Craftsmen
Who are we?
Perrin & Associates Fine Violins was established in Baltimore in 1994 with a vision to provide violins, violas, cellos, and repair and restoration services to the professional as well as the aspiring musician. We create an environment where all string players feel comfortable talking with us about their instruments, trying a variety of instruments and bows, discussing repair options, and trying new accessories. We work hard to have a wide range of instruments on hand—from wonderful historical examples, outstanding instruments by great modern makers, to quality instruments for the beginner. We also have a wide range of bows, from contemporary Brazilian to rare French.
Rodger Perrin
Rodger established in Baltimore with expertise in the restoration of fine instruments after working at the firm of Bein & Fushi in Chicago. One of the original graduates of the violin making program at the North Bennet Street School in Boston, in 1987, he returned to serve on the faculty there just prior to opening Perrin & Associates in 1994.
In addition to restorations at the highest level, he also offers fine instrument expertise, and tonal adjustments, involving the sound post, bridge, alignment and string selection, that bring some of the best instruments in the region to peak levels of performance.
Carolyn Foulkes
Carolyn repairs instruments and is our primary bow specialist, providing most of the rehairing and restoring of bows. After an apprenticeship with Rodger Perrin in 2004 she joined the company full time in 2005. Training includes the Violin Craftsmanship Institute at the University of New Hampshire under Horst Kloss, bow restoration with Lynn Hannnings and bow making with Rodney Mohr. She has a B.M. from Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Music Education, a Licentiate Diploma in Conducting from the Guildhall School of Music in London and performance degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, London. Her performance experience includes the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Opera Orchestra and the Baltimore Baroque Band. She taught for 26 years at the Baltimore School for the Arts.
Alice Young
Alice Young is our professional violist on staff. She received a Diploma of Viola Pedagogy from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland and her Masters degree in Viola Performance from the Peabody Conservatory. Her teachers have included Karen Tuttle and Miles Hoffman. As an active violist during her performing career in the Baltimore area, Alice was a core member of the Baltimore Opera Orchestra and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Young has taught at Baltimore School for the Arts, UMBC, Goucher College and Bryn Mawr School for Girls.
Alice also makes sure we have the strings and cases you need, and is very likely to be the one you first talk with on the phone.
Aaron Fini
Aaron Fini is a maker of fine bows based in downtown Baltimore. In his workshop, he meticulously crafts violin, viola and cello bows of the highest quality for professional musicians in the US and abroad. Aaron is also a very fine cellist. He began studying the cello at age 6; a life long passion and pursuit which lead him to study with cellist Amit Peled at Peabody Conservatory. Aaron graduated with a Masters Degree in Cello Performance in 2016, after which he began to pursue a career in bow making. Aaron began his studies in this fine craft with Rodney Mohr, and continued on to study extensively with Joshua Henry in the Bernard Ouchard Mirecourt tradition. He soon landed a position at Perrin and Associates Fine Violins as the resident Bow Maker, where he serves professional musicians and conservatory students.
Ryan Fini
Ryan Fini is a professional violin maker who focuses on making violins, violas, and cellos of exceptional tone and uncompromising quality.
A violinist since childhood, Ryan has always had a strong passion for music. This eventually led him to study music in college, where he was introduced to the art of violin making. He soon became fascinated with the craft, and it became apparent that he had the skills and passion necessary for a career in instrument making. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree, he was accepted into the distinguished violin making program at the North Bennet Street School (NBSS) in Boston where he studied under violin maker Roman Barnas. Upon graduation from NBSS, Ryan received the “Award for Distinguished Craftsmanship” as well as the interdepartmental “DMT Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship”. After concluding his studies in Boston, Ryan began his professional career at David Brewer Fine Violins as a restorer and instrument technician, while continuing to make violins at his home workshop. Ryan spent these years among a comprehensive collection of fine antique instruments. This position afforded him many hours of careful study of instruments by the great Italian masters including Antonio Stradivari, Giuseppe Guarneri "Del Gesu", G.B. Guadagnini and Nicolo Amati. Such intensive study of the work of these craftsmen continues to inform and inspire Ryan's own violin making and in 2016, he struck out on his own to focus solely on making new violins, violas, and cellos in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2019, Ryan moved his workshop to Baltimore to join Perrin and Associates Fine Violins. At our shop in Baltimore, he continues to focus on making fine violins, violas, and cellos of the highest quality while taking on the occasional repair project.