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Dr. J. Ryan Bodiford - Repair, Restoration, & Production Shop Supervisor
Dr. Bodiford has over 20 years' experience working in the field. From 2002 to 2006 he worked as an apprentice to master bass and bow maker Steve Reiley in Grand Rapids, MI, where he participated in the large-scale restoration of some the finest double bass instruments ever made. In 2009 he joined the Shar restoration team as an associate luthier, and in this position he has continued to refine his skills working closely with Master Luthier, Ashot Vartanyan. Although specialized in cello and bass restoration, Ryan is highly skilled and capable of delivering expert-level set-up and restoration work for all instruments in the violin family. In addition to his work as luthier, Ryan earned a Masters in Musicology from Michigan State University in 2007 and a Doctorate in Ethnomusicology from the University of Michigan in 2017. He continues to balance responsibilities overseeing Shar's restoration and production shop operations with his work as an itinerant music history professor lecturing at top level universities throughout the region. |
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Ashot Vartanian - Instrument Repair & Restoration
Mr. Vartanian joined our restoration staff in 1996 after serving on the restoration staffs of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, the International School of Violin Making in Cremona, and working with such noted luthiers and restorers as Giobatta Morassi, Giorgio Scolari, and Vahakn Nigogosian. In addition to his restoration work, Mr. Vartanian is also a recognized maker who has received international recognition for his mastery of the luthier's craft by being awarded Laureate and Diplomat prizes at competitions in Poland, Bulgaria, Moscow, and Cremona. |
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Bob Clark - Instrument Repair & Restoration
Bob Clark joined Shar music in 1982 and he remains one of the company's longest serving employees. Having honed his craft as a luthier working and studying with several of the renowned violin makers and instrument restorers who have been affiliated with the Shar Restoration Shop over the years, as well as through a wealth of firsthand experience acquired during his tenure, Bob specializes in particular in offering carefully completed violin and viola set-ups and repairs that serve the needs of students and professionals alike. |
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John Perrett - Bow Repair & Restoration
John Perrett first joined the Shar staff in 1988, working as a sales representative for the Fine Instrument and Bow Department, until 1994 when he joined the Restoration Shop and turned his attention to the art of bow repair and restoration. Currently serving as Shar Music's preeminent bow specialist, John is recognized by artists across the country, who place their trust in his ability to offer reliable and well-balanced bow rehairs that complement and respond to the unique characteristics of their bows. In addition, John's expertise extends to master-level bow restoration skills involving: tip face, winding, and thumb replacements; frog adjustments and repairs; French polishing; and other services. |
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Hui-ning Mao - Instrument Repair & Restoration
With his early training in his native Shanghai, Huining Mao settled in the United States in the 1980s, honing his violinmaking skills. Since the 1990s, Mao has been a valued member of SHAR's professional luthiers team. Highly respected for his skills in optimizing the tonal qualities of violins, Mao has won several violinmaking competitions, including VSA.
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Bill Belote - Instrument Repair & Restoration
Through years of close mentorship, Bill Belote has learned the Italian methods and traditions of violinmaking from award-winning Armenian-American master Ashot Vartanian. Under Vartanian's guidance, Belote has made a series of violins based on Stradivari and Guarneri with excellent tonal results. |
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Paul Cheng - Instrument/Bow Repair & Restoration
Paul Cheng has been working at SHAR since 2000. He specializes in tonal adjustments, varnish retouching and bow rehairs. He is a regular participant at the USA Oberlin Restoration Workshop in Oberlin, OH. He also plays violin and viola professionally and maintains a teaching studio in Ann Arbor, MI.
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