Jean baptiste vuillaume biography of rory

“What set him apart from the rest is that he was not only an artist without equal, but also a tireless seeker of perfection to whom there was no such thing as failure.

It was this driving force which shone through his life and made his work immortal.”

Roger Millant, Paris 1972

Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (1798-1875) is rightly considered the most prolific and inventive French luthier of all time: a stringed instrument maker, restorer, dealer, businessman, he was characterised by a truly scientific spirit.

In common with Antonio Stradivari (c.1644-1737) he dominated the stringed instrument market in Europe for an extended period, leaving an impressive legacy not only in terms of his own 3,000 instruments, but also an impression on the opinions and prejudices that circulate among string players and luthiers to this day.

Vuillaume’s instruments have been played by such great musicians as Joachim, Ysaÿe, Kreisler, Fo