Bio

I am María de los Ángeles Machado, a luthier specialized in bowed string instruments. I was born in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina, in 1989. From a very young age I felt deeply drawn to music and instruments: to their shape, their sound and the quiet mystery they hold before they begin to sing. That curiosity led me to begin my training in lutherie in 2007.

Over the years I explored the making of different instruments, including guitars, charangos, basses and electric guitars, until I found in violins, violas and cellos a path that I continue to deepen today. In 2016 I obtained the title of Maestra Técnica Luthier at the Faculty of Arts of the National University of Tucumán.

My training continued through different specialized courses and, in 2018, I traveled to Cremona, Italy, to specialize in the making of baroque violins and violas at the Istituto Superiore Antonio Stradivari. That experience deeply shaped the way I understand this craft: the relationship with tradition, the precision of the gesture and the patient listening each material requires.

Since then I have dedicated myself to the making, restoration and setup of bowed string instruments, always working through attention to the material and through the relationship with each musician. Every instrument brings a different question, and part of my work is to respond to it with time, respect and judgement.

In 2022 I returned to Cremona to continue refining my work. I also trained at the Civic School of Milan in bow repair and maintenance. During my time in Italy I continued collaborating with other luthiers and developing high-quality instruments, while also beginning to share the craft more actively through workshops and training programs in different contexts and countries.

I currently work as a luthier in Valencia. In my workshop I make, restore and set up violins, violas and cellos. I also guide colleagues and students in learning lutherie, both in my own space and in different training settings.

My time at Maderas Barber was an important opportunity to come closer to the world of wood in depth. Today I have the pleasure of continuing to receive the support of a company with more than 70 years of experience in the craft.

In my lutherie workshop in Valencia I develop instruments from their origin, carry out repair and restoration work, and offer lutherie classes for beginners, musicians and anyone interested in learning the craft through practice. It is a space for work and training where making, instrument care and the transmission of knowledge coexist.

I understand lutherie as a craft built through doing and passed on through sharing: work that requires time, precision and constant listening.