We recently connected with Pablo Alfaro and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Pablo, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I’m always on my customers side, my goal is to perfectly understand their needs and solve any issues they might have. I also educate them about instruments maintenance, preserving and adjustments possibilities.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As a violin maker and Restorer, it is extremely important to understand, not only the making or restoration process, as the playing side. I was trained as a violinist in Europe, starting playing professionally at age 18 for almost twenty years before I became a violin maker.
I also got an art training in my early childhood, from my grandmother who was a great artist.
Music and painting became very useful tools in my making career, I have restored many great instruments and made many award winning instruments. So far, I have won 49 awards worldwide.
I’m a member of the AFVBM, I have been President of VMAAI and SVA beside been a contributor for The Strad Magazine among other publications and journals.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

At the beginning of my journey as a violin maker, I had to deal with some other issues in my personal life like going through a divorce process. I basically lost everything I had and my leftovers salary was really bad. In order to survive I had to draw caricatures for pedestrians in a park on weekends, that way I would be able to eat for few more days… When I just started my shop in the US, with no customers, I joined a Mariachi band playing in a restaurant to make some money to pay bills, one day all I had were $100 dollars left, somehow somebody heard of me and bought one of my violins one day before I had to pay the rent…
Three years ago I felt from a latter in my shop breaking eight bones of my body, it was really complicated to do any work, but between friends and student’s help I was able to recover and work again…
Life has some bumps but if something doesn’t kill you, is going to make you stronger.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was trained as a violinist in Europe, after playing professionally for almost two decades, and having a very successful career, I decided to study violin making and at one point I got a job offer as a violin restorer, it was a full time position that wouldn’t allow me to play in an orchestra any more. I decided to give a try to my life dream of being a violin maker and restorer.
I never regret making that decision.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alfaroviolins.com
• Instagram: alfaro_violins
• Facebook: Alfaro Violins
• Linkedin: Pablo Alfaro

Image Credits
Pablo Alfaro