Viola by Leo Mayr, Bayerisch Gmain 1977 (41 cm) - Master viola

German viola by Leo Mayr, made in 1977 – an elegant, melodious master viola for high demands

Viola (41 cm) from the main oeuvre of Leo Mayr – individual masterpiece by the South German violin maker, who accompanied the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra on a tour through China and was commissioned with demanding projects such as the restoration of Mozart's concert violin.

Leo Mayr (Leodegar Mayr, 1928–2013) was a successful and highly productive German violin maker whose extensive oeuvre enjoyed an outstanding reputation among top international musicians. Trained at the Mittenwald violin making school and under Johann Karl Padewet – a former colleague of Giuseppe Fiorini and Georg Winterling –, he first established himself in Ingolstadt and moved to Bayerisch Gmain in 1975, where the master viola offered here was created in 1977. A few years earlier, Leo Mayr had taken over Hermann Glassl's München workshop and with it a stock of excellent old clay mallets, which formed an important basis for the mature craftsmanship of his best work phase. This Leo Mayr viola, whose playful elegance reveals the unmistakable character of his style at first glance, belongs to this period. The perfectly crafted purfling and purfling extended far into the prominent corners reveal the great care with which the excellently trained and experienced master dedicated himself to this instrument. The light, golden yellow varnish emphasizes the fine grain of the fine to medium grained spruce of the top and the exceptionally beautifully flamed maple from which the two-piece back, sides, neck and scroll are made. Some minor discolorations in the upper area of the back are presumably traces of a wood fungus, which are part of the personality of this instrument and do not affect either its sound or its value. Preserved in first-class condition, crack-free and without any damage, this master viola is recommended to discerning musicians with its comfortable playing characteristics and its warm, resonant and characterful sound.

Master viola by Leo Mayr, 1977 – brief portrait

• Viola from the main work of Leo Mayr
• 41 cm body length and 37.8 cm vibrating string length
• Dated original label
• Perfectly preserved viola, completely free of cracks
• Elegant, individual style
• Very good playing and sound characteristics, viola for professional musicians

We deliver this viola worldwide with free shipping, inspected and ready to play by our violin experts, with a 30-day return policy and under the Corilon trade-in guarantee. A Corilon certificate confirming the value can be ordered separately.

US customers can rest assured: when choosing UPS shipping, there are usually no import duties, and even with free standard shipping, any potential import costs on mail orders are typically minimal.