About Erli
Erli Gurra was born in Tirana in 1984. He grew up around instruments long before he built his first one, then spent six years in Cremona, Italy, learning the craft properly. First, at the famous "Antonio Stradivari" violinmaking school and then at the workshop of Master Edgar E. Russ.
Erli grew up loving music and art. It ran in the family. He started violin lessons at age three, then learned piano and guitar too. But his favorite place was his father's workshop. His father, Rami, repaired and tuned all kinds of instruments. Erli was especially curious about the violin: how it was built, and how his father brought old instruments back to life.
At about ten years old, Erli tried to carve his first violin f-holes by himself. After finishing Qemal Stafa high school in Tirana, he finally got the chance to learn violin making properly. In 2003, he moved to Cremona, Italy, to study at the "Antonio Stradivari" I.P.I.A.L.L. school.
Training & career
At about ten years old, Erli tries to shape a violin's f-holes for the first time, in his father Rami's workshop.
Moves to Cremona to study violin making. Taught by M° Vanna Zambelli, later M° Daniele Scolari, and M° Claudio Amighetti for restoration, plus M° Dacquati, M° Barcellari, M° Matviychuk and M° Tadioli.
Graduates from the Stradivari school. Then works closely with master Edgar E. Russ, learning more about how instruments produce their sound.
After years of training and practice in Italy, Erli decides to move back home to Albania.
Opens his own workshop in Tirana, building violins, violas and cellos for players and collectors around the world.
Working with M° Edgar E. Russ
The years Erli spent working with Russ still shape his instruments today. He learned to care as much about how an instrument sounds as how it's made, a lesson that shapes every violin, viola and cello that leaves the Tirana workshop.
Responsibility
"Learning this craft in Cremona means learning it from the same tradition as Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri. I try to honor that in every instrument I build."See the instruments
