2008 Woodie Awards
World-renowned violinmaker to show link between art, science
Samantha Sigmon
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: Life & Style
Terry Borman, a well-known violinmaker who now is based in Fayetteville, will present a lecture, "Innovation in a Timeless Art - Science of the Stradivarius," at 2:30 p.m. today in Room 132 of the Chemistry Building.
The UA wants to highlight the link between art and science in Borman's research. Therefore, his lecture is co-sponsored by the UA music department and the department of chemistry and biochemistry, according to the Daily Headlines press release.
Borman has been a "voice" to notable virtuosi like Pinchas Zukerman and Kyung Wha Chung, and he has spent more than 30 years crafting violins. He also is interested in the science behind the instrument's sound, according to the press release.
Violins with the most pleasing sound to human ears universally are the ones made in the Italian city of Cremona from the 16th through the 18th centuries, according to the press release.
While notable scientists have attempted to explain the mechanism behind the unique and beautiful sound the violin produces, no one has been able to identify the source of clarity in the "voice" of the violin. Researchers have focused on the wood, the age, the varnish, and even looked for a chemical treatment of the wood to explain the elegant sound of the Cremonese violins, according to the press release.
Borman's quest focuses on the front plate of the violin, called the "table" or "belly," typically made of spruce wood. Borma uses noninvasive methods such as CT scans, three-dimensional laser holography and magnetic-resonance imaging to test his violins. His tests have identified significant differences in wood densities between Cremonese instruments and newer instruments. These findings could influence the craft of violin making for ages to come, according to the press release.
Borman's formal training began when he apprenticed to a French violin maker in the 1970s, followed by a seven-year apprenticeship with various violin makers in France, according to his personal statement on his Web site, www.bormanviolins.com.
The UA wants to highlight the link between art and science in Borman's research. Therefore, his lecture is co-sponsored by the UA music department and the department of chemistry and biochemistry, according to the Daily Headlines press release.
Borman has been a "voice" to notable virtuosi like Pinchas Zukerman and Kyung Wha Chung, and he has spent more than 30 years crafting violins. He also is interested in the science behind the instrument's sound, according to the press release.
Violins with the most pleasing sound to human ears universally are the ones made in the Italian city of Cremona from the 16th through the 18th centuries, according to the press release.
While notable scientists have attempted to explain the mechanism behind the unique and beautiful sound the violin produces, no one has been able to identify the source of clarity in the "voice" of the violin. Researchers have focused on the wood, the age, the varnish, and even looked for a chemical treatment of the wood to explain the elegant sound of the Cremonese violins, according to the press release.
Borman's quest focuses on the front plate of the violin, called the "table" or "belly," typically made of spruce wood. Borma uses noninvasive methods such as CT scans, three-dimensional laser holography and magnetic-resonance imaging to test his violins. His tests have identified significant differences in wood densities between Cremonese instruments and newer instruments. These findings could influence the craft of violin making for ages to come, according to the press release.
Borman's formal training began when he apprenticed to a French violin maker in the 1970s, followed by a seven-year apprenticeship with various violin makers in France, according to his personal statement on his Web site, www.bormanviolins.com.
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