The New Violin Family Association
In memory of
Carleen Hutchins
(May 24, 1911 – August 7, 2009)Carleen Maley Hutchins was an American former high school science teacher, violinmaker and researcher, best-known for her creation, in the 1950s/60s, of a family of eight proportionally-sized violins now known as the violin octet (e.g., the vertical viola) and for a considerable body of research into the acoustics of violins. She was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Hutchins Consort is planning a tour out to the east coast next May to perform a commemorative concert in honor of Carleen Hutchins 100th birthday anniversary, which is May 24, 2011, in Wolfeboro NH.
Info HERE (PDF)
In October 2009, the Hutchins Consort & The New Violin Family Association were merged. It was Carleen Hutchin’s desire that the Hutchins Consort assume the responsibilities of the New Violin Family Association and assume all facets of this organization’s operation upon her departure. Just two months after Dr. Hutchins passed away, this merger was completed. The New Violin Family Association lives on as an integral aspect of the Hutchins Consort’s mission to illuminate Carleen Hutchins’ important work as a luthier and acoustician, with particular focus upon the development and building of her octet of New Violins.
It is the sincere hope of the Hutchins Consort, that this will initiate a re-birth of the NVFA, in an effort to attract more attention to this amazing set of instruments. The Hutchins Consort continues its work as the only professional ensemble of players currently performing on this unique set of violins. They aspire to proliferate this ensemble around the globe in an effort to establish other New Violin Family ensembles, and to educate the world about this important substantive development in violin acoustics.
We invite you to join our organization, by visiting the Hutchins Consort website, where you can find out more about the various concert programs and educational offerings which the Consort presents annually.
Please consider making a donation to our organization, to assist us in preserving the legacy of Carleen Hutchins. You can click here for the Membership page of the Hutchins Consort’s website.
This NVFA website will continue to be maintained in conjunction with the Hutchins Consort website, providing more comprehensive information about the New Violin Family, through an array of articles, reviews, research papers, contacts & links to many resources.
Thank you for visiting the New Violin Family Association’s website. If you have further questions or suggestions for us in our re-development of this site, please contact us at info@hutchinsconsort.org.
The New Violin Family Association is an international group of musicians, scientists, instrument makers and music lovers, people who want to share in the challenging possibilities opened for the musical world by a consort of eight violins of a new type, from treble to contrabass. The design of this Octet of violins has been made possible for the first time in history by the combination of 20th century acoustical science and the skills and knowledge of expert modern violin-makers.
