Since 1961, the Union run a Collection of Luthier Instruments, established by the Ministry of Culture and owned by the State Treasury. The aim of this collection, which is the only one of its kind in Poland, is to collect the most valuable luthier instruments, document them, maintain them, and, above all, make them available to young, talented musicians, students, and music school pupils. The beginning of the collection consisted of only 30 instruments gathered by the Union. After more than 60 years of operation, the resources of the collection increased to about 300 instruments. The collection currently has high-quality luthier works made between the 17 th century and modern times, including 149 violins 4/4, 43 violins ¾, 24 violins ½, five violins ¼, 21 violas, 17 cellos 4/4, one cello 7/8, four cellos ¾, one cello ¼, one double bass, three violas da gamba (bass, alto, and tenor), 17 bows. Most violins awarded at the Henryk Wieniawski International Luthier Competition in Poznan are part of the collection.
The collection includes 11 instruments representing the highest sound and artistic values, reserved for Polish participants of international and national music competitions, and rented only for the period related to preparations and participation in competitions. The instruments borrowed from the collections of the collection were used for many years by outstanding Polish violinists, including Wanda Wiłkomirska, Piotr Janowski, Kaja Danczowska, Jadwiga Kaliszewska, as well as musicians playing in well-known Polish chamber ensembles, among others Wilanow Quartet, Camerata Quartet, Silesian Quartet. Many Polish musicians who are now famous and outstanding figures in the music community were educated using instruments from the Collecion. A significant part of the collection is masterful, children’s string instruments (violins and cellos) of the sizes necessary for the complete education of a musician, from a child starting school to an adult. Most of these instruments are the aftermath of the National Violin Making Competitions named after Zdzisław Szulc and Włodzimierz Kamiński.
The Collection is located in the headquarters of the Union of Polish Artists Violin Makers:
16/18 Krakowskie Przedmiescie St., premises no. 5, II floor. 00-325 Warsaw
ph. 22 826 71 52; +48 602 275 32
e-mail: zpal@zpal.pl; marek.pielaszek@zpal
Loaning instruments from the Collection are handled Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 10:00 to 14:00.