Restoration Workshop
2026
Thomas Croen
Maker / Restorer / Guest Instructor
Tom Croen is a full-time violin, viola, and cello maker based in Eugene, Oregon. Trained at the Violin Making School of America (1977), he has worked in the field for nearly five decades, with a practice encompassing both new instrument making and complex restoration and repair.
A central focus of Tom’s work is instrument acoustics, particularly the relationship between setup and sound. He has developed a detailed understanding of the functional roles of the bridge and soundpost and their interaction with the instrument as a system. He has written several articles on acoustic topics, as well as on practical and conceptual aspects of violin making and repair.
Tom has been an active participant in the violin-making community for many years, including regular involvement with the Oberlin Workshops and service on professional boards. These activities have led to ongoing collaboration with colleagues worldwide and continue to inform and refine his approach to making and restoration.
Career Highlights
• Instructor, Learning Trade Secrets: Advanced Set-Up Workshop (2019, 2022, 2023)
• Three Gold Medals, Violin Society of America (Hors Concours)
• Workmanship Judge, VSA Competitions (1992, 2008, 2022) and ISB Makers Competitions (2011, 2015)
• Long-time participant and early staff member, Oberlin Makers Workshops
• Former board member, Violin Society of America and American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers
Selected Publications and Presentations
• “Measuring Up” – VSA Presentation (2022): documentation of instrument setup and condition
• “The Sound of Science” – The Strad, February 2020
• “A Fresh Look at Fingerboards” – The VSA Scroll, 2010
• “Report on a Bass Bar Study”, with William Atwood, Journal of the Violin Society of America, Vol. XV, No. 2, 1996, pp. 65–92