History

Cardiff Violins was set up in 1984 by Christopher King, who has been working on instruments of the violin family since the early '70's, and holds a diploma from the Welsh School of instrument making and repairing, where he later taught restoration on a part-time basis.

Cardiff Violins started off as a repair workshop serving mainly professional musicians from the Welsh National Opera and the BBC and students from the Cardiff University of Music, the Welsh College of Music and Drama, as well as numerous amateur musicians, teachers and young students.

In 1993, Cardiff Violins moved to Castle Arcade, where it complimented the workshop with a three-room shop. In 1994, the workshop was greatly expanded and relocated opposite the shop, across the balcony. 2001 saw a further extension of the shop, and now with fourteen  rooms dedicated to the sale, restoration, repair and setting up of bowed instruments, Cardiff Violins has become one of the largest stringed instrument shops in Europe.