This book is based on an in-depth conversation between Howard Burton and master violin maker and acoustician Joseph Curtin, recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. This in-depth conversation explores Curtin’s long quest to characterize the sound of a Stradivari violin and the rigorous series of double-blind tests he and his colleagues developed to probe whether or not professional musicians can really tell the difference between a Stradivari and a modern violin. The conversation also covers violin acoustics and how Joseph Curtin marries acoustic science to the art of violin making and merges time-honoured techniques with new materials and design.

This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, Finding What You’re Looking For, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:

1. Finding One’s Niche - Becoming a violin maker


2. Confronting Biases - Measuring a mystery


3. Characterizing Sound - Towards objectivity


4. Making Modern Violins - In search of a new aesthetic


5. The Future Awaits - Digital violins, new books and more

About Ideas Roadshow Conversations Series (100 books):

Presented in an accessible, conversational format, Ideas Roadshow books not only explore frontline academic research featuring world-leading researchers, including 3 Nobel Laureates, but also reveal the inspirations and personal journeys behind the research. Howard Burton holds a PhD in physics and an MA in philosophy, and was the Founding Director of Canada’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.