About the Violin maker

Oleg Semenukha was born in 1974 in the western Ukrainian town of Novovolynsk. His path to violin making was not a direct one — it began with a deep fascination for classical music, especially with the sound of the violin, which accompanied him throughout his artistic studies.

From early childhood he attended an arts-focused school. Later, he devoted himself to the visual arts: first studying artistic woodcarving in the town of Kovel, and then sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lviv. It was there that he developed a precise command of form, material, and proportion — skills that would later become essential in his violin-making work.

“When I saw the masterful instruments of my friends from the conservatory during my studies, a desire was born in me to build my own violin,”
recalls Oleg Semenukha.

A decisive encounter with violin maker Stanislav Shylak opened this possibility for him. Under his guidance, Oleg completed his first instrument.

Another important figure was violist and restorer Alexander Svirlov, who introduced him to the subtleties of violin playing and the delicate nuances of instrument adjustment. During this period, several violins and one viola were created — the first true results of what would become his lifelong calling.

From 2004 to 2009 he worked at Rudolf Fidler, where he honed his skills in building violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and viols. A crucial role in his development was his work in the varnish workshop, where he had the opportunity to experiment and learn to create artistic surfaces inspired by historical masters.

Since 2006 he has regularly participated in international violin-making competitions. Among his most notable achievements are 22nd place out of 353 makers in Mittenwald in 2010, 16th place at the Étienne Vatelot Competition in Paris in 2011, and 10th place for viola at the prestigious Cremona Triennale in 2012. At the international competition in Prague in 2025, he placed 3rd for the sound of his violin and was the second-highest ranked Czech participant, an accomplishment he considers one of his most significant.

In 2008 he met master violin maker Dalibor Bzirský, who became his long-term teacher and mentor, lifting his work to a truly masterful level. From 2015 to 2021 he also worked closely with master violin maker Jan Špidlen as a restorer of fine instruments — an experience that profoundly deepened his sensitivity to detail and the artistic value of the string instrument.

Since 2009 he has worked independently in his violin workshop in Kladno.
He builds new instruments, performs restorations, and since 2018 has devoted himself primarily to crafting master violins, violas, and cellos. He is a member of the Guild of Prague Violin Makers (Cech houslařu pražských)
and the Association of Artistic Violin Makers (Kruh umělců houslařů).

Today, his instruments are played by students, professionals, and members of leading Czech orchestras. Among them are Professor Jan Řezníček, FOK concertmaster Tomáš Duda, and violist Olena Doubová — each of whom has found in his instruments a distinctive voice that reflects their musical expression.

Oleg Semenukha now leads his atelier in the Kladno district of Rozdělov, where instruments are created that unite his artistic sensibility, technical precision, and deep respect for the traditions of European violin making.