Sergio Peresson

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Sergio Peresson (1913-1991) was an Italian-born violin maker.

Born in Udine, Italy, Peresson began fabricating violins in 1943. After World War II, he emigrated to Venezuela where he worked repairing violins for the Venezuela Symphony. In the early 1960s, he moved to the United States where he worked for William Moennig & Son in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Peresson later moved to Haddonfield, New Jersey in the 1970s where he continued making violins.

Well known musicians performing Peresson instruments include Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Jaime Laredo, Eugene Fodor, Maria Bachmann, Lenuta Ciulei,Ivan Galamian, and Jacqueline du Pré.

From 1970, du Pré's primary performance instrument was a Peresson cello. Commissioned by her husband Daniel Barenboim in 1970, it was used in the live 1970 recording of the Elgar Cello Concerto, with Barenboim conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. After du Pré's death in 1987 the instrument passed to Alison Eldridge for a time, and is presently on loan from Barenboim to Kyril Zlotnikov of the Jerusalem String Quartet.

[edit] Quotations

“	When I told people who I was making it for, they stared at me in amazement. They constantly reminded me that Jackie had the Davydov Strad and a Gofriller. What on earth did she want with a Peresson?	”
	— Sergio Peresson

— referencing Jacqueline du Pré.

[edit] References

• Il liutaio Sergio Peresson (1913-1991), Pizzicato ed. musicali, Udine 2001