GAO Tong Tong
The international luthier- maestro artist who in search of perfection
The fate binding from childhood of his life with violin
First of all, “The butterfly lovers' violin concerto” has deeply moved him while the first impression for him, and which he listened to hundreds of times in his very young age. It was the only most famous and popular piece at the time. This piece through radio introduced him to the world of Classical Music and more particularly to dulcet violin tones.
From that time on, GAO Tong Tong was deeply moved by the colour of tone in the violin and attractive to him snatched at every chance tried to identify and recognize the timbre of violin
In primary school as GAO Tong Tong became the violin pupil in schooling-music club and being participated violin part in ensemble. He always listened to over and over the beautiful melody during that period. The sound of the violin melted his heart and still melting away.
The time during his teenager, he fans to photography, and was falling in taking the brilliant, memorable scene or moved moment. He dives into this subject not only to probe deeply into the essence of the fabulous image but also in the composing skills.
Since then, the concept of “The art of thinking clearly” has been nurturing.
Visible apparent, the great potential in vary art field shown by him since his childhood.
How he discovered violin Making
Recalling a succession of events along his life journey which have led him to be the violin maker that he is today.
More than a revelation, the pragmatic reason during his young age,pragmatism was not only a philosophical tradition but also the faith for goods or vocations during the society at that time.
In the age of 15 years old when it was time for taken the entry exams for the senior high school, he made the decision to select and enter the Beijing Violin Making School and Central Conservatory of Music and then also begun his career of violin making in 1982. As he thought that at least acquired the ability of instrument-making by entered the skill-school, it’s the skill for the vocational future.
Following training with renowned Maestro Fuquan Wang at that period, and Mr.Quan Zheng while in his years of Central Conservatory of music.
The life in Cremona, Italy
In 1991, it's the third year in Conservatory, he received the offer of Government scholarship by Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and begun the further progress and develop of different study field, also refresh in art "feeling".
GAO Tong Tong pursued his advanced studies in Cremona International Violin making School, at the same time, he became a pupil of Wanna Zambelli, Stefano Conia, Massimo Negroni and has been instructed by Gio Batta Morassi.
GAO Tong Tong also has been apprenticed of Maestro Gio Batta Morassi at Maestro’s workshop for five years in that amazing small town.
The atmosphere of Western culture was such different from China particular in that era.
Something interesting about that period. While the first time when GAO Tong Tong saw the antique or ancient its historical violin, he thought it’s not difficult for making and he also can made. He found that it was a very immature thought, by time gets longer of his learning in the professional field.
The people there, usually bringing a sense of ceremony to their everyday life can be a beautiful way to recognize and celebrate the little things too. The simple rituals have attached a certain feeling of significance. This is also deeply affected GAO Tong Tong. All people appreciate attractive moment, or beautiful things, creating self-own ceremonies will be the powerful potential for the creative imagination and inspire beauty.
The mature society, all professions deserve equal respect, whether you are setting up a personal studio or working in some organizations, institution and academy, the respect you get depends on your real expertise.
Due to the impact of humanism and humanist friendly cultures, he was starting discovered the Cultural Enquiry into the Renaissance in Europe at Cremona.
Explores the Renaissance from the interdisciplinary perspective of history, literature, drama, religion, the history of art, philosophy, music, and variety thought. It provides GAO Tong Tong with an unprecedentedly thorough life experience of this absorbing stage in the development of his version in Western civilization.
The other part of the deeply impact for him, when someone wants to visit another family, they would ask politely outside the door: May I come in? They were never entry rushed.
It seems the regular and small piece of detail part of most family life, however, the good routines would become part of life achievement.
With all the attractions and museums not only in Cremona but also in everywhere of Europe has to offer, he stays around the surround within variety of art and rich history exhibitions during the years there. The art and logical atmosphere just like the smelling of his breathing every day, and he has been developing the creativity via the daily life.
Since the years in Cremona, GAO Tong Tong receives lots of important and valuable world-prizes and awards high level affirmation in the global art.
Fate in the live, Devotion and Achievement
During the advance and move on toward his life career, although he was still in the follower with the master maestro of the world.
GAO Tong Tong participated in various and pluralistic international violin-making competitions, and he has participating on several hugely international competition and has been receiving awarded numerous.
To enjoy being alone is the subject to be faced by an artist throughout his life, in particularity the luthier. In the period scene during before he was making the violin for his first time for competition, he was nervous and homesick. He stood by the window and looked at the birds flying on the sky. He knew that he could only face his choices faithfully, stand firm for it. Consequently, he named the violin "Rondine" (Swallow in English), because of its footloose and fancy-free.
Violin making is very rigorous, but from these details, GAO Tong Tong is also a very romantic person.
The chosen main prizes as list as below:
1993 Liuteria Artistica Cremonese in the 4th Baveno Violin Making Competition
1994 Final Prize in the Tchaikovsky II International Violin Makers’ Competition
1994 The 6th Prize for violin
and the 7th Prize for viola in the 7th Triennale Internazionale di Cremona
1995 Three gold medals for violin and cello in the 5the Baveno Violin Making Competition
1996 Bronze Medal in the 9th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Making Competition
GAO Tong Tong was the first winner, who representing for China since the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Making competition established in 1957.
He officially registered GAO Tong Tong Violin Making Workshop in Beijing in 1998.
His output is exceptional in quality and in particular the faithful reproductions of following the principle of artistica liuteria Italian style. he personally finalized the whole processes of details in instrument- making and was also engaged in the professional repairs and restores for classic and modern string instruments. The violin which he made, it is covered in an artistic, slightly antiqued oil varnish of a fabulous re-brown colour favoured and has a tone of great richness. The tone of his violin is responsive, full, and rich and easily produced with many varied tonal colours to hand and with a power that can be tapped into.His work is of the highest order, as one would expect, having continued the tradition set by himself and was following the principle of artistica liuteria Italian style.
His instruments are played and private collection by musicians from various countries and regions, such as Italy, Austria, Germany, America, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong…..etc. Many Chinese musicians who participated in international competitions specifying to performance with the instruments which made by GAO Tong Tong, and then awarded gold prizes. Which can be said as unprecedented such as gold prize in Primrose International Viola Competition – Chinese musicians with instruments made by Chinese.
Home is somewhere you should always be welcomed and feel you belong- even if you left it years ago. And now, GAO Tong Tong’s dream has come true in his motherland.
The window of dream, the door of future
-in order for the global youngest, it's now established
As the member of the International Association of Violin and Bow Makers, and also by his International reputation, GAO Tong Tong was appointed to be the Deputy Director of the Violin Making Research Center in the Central Conservatory of Music in 2019.
He spent entire of his time for renewing the studio, and inviting global Maestro Luthier all around the world to set either hardware or software are modern, useful, and comfortable, all the meaningful in his opinion is not luxury, that should be a peaceful place with rich and affluent academic learning atmosphere. On the other hand, there will also be prosperous in global connection information since he does the best to organize the Expert at Global Maestro.
We can see that the brilliant future of the Violin Making Research Centre in the Central Conservatory of Music will be a globalized institution with top professional expertise and resources. Not only did GAO Tong Tong come here as an international master luthier, but he also brought all his international relationships to the school and the students. Like the world's best-known treasure trove of string instruments- the Violin Collection Department of Chimei Museum Taiwan, it has completed the world-wide exclusive in the Violin Resource Sharing Agreement with the Central Conservatory of Music to support the educational ideals of Professor GAO.
The spotlights are switching on at the field of worldwide luthier, world attention moves quickly.
The Museum of Chimei was collecting more than 1,376 string instruments and over 740 string-bows years of the range from 1550 to 2000 AD. Its collections and computerization datum, both historic and representative are the premium of the world's. Either Instructors or followers at the Violin Making Research Centre in the Central Conservatory of Music have enjoying these valuable resources since the summer of 2019.
In September 2019, Giulio Morassi, the eldest grandson of the late world Master luthier Gio Batta Morassi, has become the student who majors in violin making and research, he came from Cremona where is the headstream of Italian violin to China as an international student, it's the historical first one since Rebirth China.
GAO Tong Tong does and willingness to be the window of their dream, the door of their future, just in order to establish the achievement and dreaming centre for the global younger.
Just like his other prize-winning violin: Felicità (in English is “Happy”)
His one and only desire to the student: Joining with hope, and graduation with confidence
the imaging of Art is unlimited, unique, and difficult to replace by machines the splendid lines, wonderful nature, etc., are associated with all-natural phenomena from God's creation.
GAO Tong Tong was also willing to be the innovator of hope for young luthier, when the student received the permission from school, it also means the Sky's the limit and Hope springs eternal.
高彤彤
追求完美的国际大师
自幼结缘提琴
高彤彤第一次听到《梁祝小提琴协奏曲》时，便被深深打动。于是，他在小时候始终反复聆听这首当时极负盛名且脍炙人口的作品。而这首作品也为他打开通往古典音乐世界的大门，将其引入悦耳动听的小提琴世界。自那时起，小提琴的音色与琴音深深吸引着他，高彤彤总是全身心去辩别那独特的音色。小学期间，高彤彤加入了学校乐团开始学习小提琴，并成为了小提琴声部的学生演奏员。在乐团的那段岁月里，优美的旋律始终萦绕耳畔，小提琴的声音更融化了他的心，至今依然持续。青少年时期，他对摄影产生兴趣，且致力于捕捉那些精彩难忘的场景或感动的瞬间。他一心扑在摄影中，不仅深入探究了摄影作品的内容本质，同时也对构图技巧等方面进行摸索。由此，“艺术性的清晰思维”愈见萌芽，他在童年时期便对许多方面展现非凡的艺术潜能。
如何探索到提琴制作领域
忆及过往至今一连串的人生历程，点滴日常使他成为今日的制琴大师。
投入制琴志业的初衷，是由于1982年中国女排夺得世界冠军时的触动。在举国欢庆的氛围下，高彤彤看着当时中国提琴家们，到世界各地无论参赛或演奏，使用的都是外国人制作的乐器，因此他给自己立下目标，默默许诺要让中国人制作出的顶级乐器，陪伴中国演奏家在世界夺目，这除了是个人心中的国家荣誉感之外，更希望可以为国争光。在他年轻时的社会，实用主义不仅是一种哲学理论，也是当时代环境，对商品或职业的信念，高彤彤务实的个性，便源自于家风与成长背景。他认为，进入技校学习制琴能够获得未来职业发展的一技之长。因此，在15岁中考时，他决定选择进入北京小提琴制作学校，于1982年开始小提琴制作生涯，并于1989年考入中央音乐学院。
在北京提琴制作学校和中央音乐学院的岁月里，他先后跟随当时著名大师王福全和郑荃先生学习。
意大利克雷莫纳的生活
1991年，也是在音乐学院大三那年，他获得了意大利外交部颁发的政府奖学金，并开始了不同于以往的视野，也重新定义了对艺术的『感觉』。高彤彤在克雷莫纳国际小提琴制作学校深造，同时，他成为赞贝利、斯特凡诺·科尼亚、马西莫· 内格罗尼的学生，同时也受到乔·巴塔·莫拉西的指导。并且成为该制琴大师乔·巴塔·莫拉西的学徒，在克雷莫纳这个奇妙的小镇跟随其五年时间。西方文化的氛围与当时代的中国截然不同。一些有趣的往事，至今对高彤彤而言，画面依然记忆犹新。 像是：当高彤彤第一次见到古董小提琴时，他认为制成这样一把乐器并没什么困难，他也可以做出来。 然而随着时间的推移，自己在专业领域更加深入沉浸后，他意识到自己当初的想法实在天真幼稚。另外像是高彤彤留意到，那里的人们通常会为他们日常生活中，认为的一些值得重视的小事增添特有的仪式感。『简单的仪式将”美”赋予更大的意义』-这些点滴小事，都深深地影响着高彤彤。任谁都会受美好的瞬间打动与吸引，创造自己独有的仪式，可激发出创造性的想象力，并触动未知的强大的潜能。
在欧洲，高彤彤也发现：在一个成熟的社会中，真正展现职业不分贵贱的样貌。无论是创建个人工作室还是在某些组织、机构或学院工作，但凡是具真才实学的专业，都会获得至高的尊重。欧洲长期受到人文主义和友好文化的影响，也使高彤彤在克雷莫纳开启了欧洲文艺复兴的种种文化探索。他从历史、文学、戏剧、宗教、艺术史、哲学、音乐和各种思想的跨学科视角探索研究文艺复兴。在这些西方文明进程中、最为繁花似锦的阶段，由于生活在意大利，无距离地为高彤彤创造了前所未有的透彻体验。另一项对他产生深刻影响的是生活中细微的礼节。当人们相互登门拜访时，总是会礼貌地在门外先询问：我可以进来吗？从来不会鲁莽地直接进入。这些看似只是大多数家庭生活里的极小细节，然而，良好生活习惯的养成，都是无形间累积人生成就的一部分。
不只是克雷莫纳，而是在欧洲每一个大小城市里，都有许许多多不同主题的博物馆。 在那里的岁月，高彤彤总是流连于各类艺术类与历史类展览。艺术和逻辑氛围就像存续在他日常的呼吸之中，他的创造力也通过日常生活点滴累积、逐渐形成。在克雷莫纳那些年起，高彤彤获得了各项最为关键的世界奖项，并在全球艺术领域中受到极高水平的肯定。
生命的缘分，奉献和成就
那些年，纵使他个人不断向前迈进，参加了多项国际提琴制作比赛，并在多项大型国际赛事中获奖，然而高彤彤始终沉稳地跟随着世界大师-乔·巴塔·莫拉西，持续从中学习着更宽广的艺术技巧与品德修养。享受独处是艺术家终其一生要面对的主题，尤其是制琴师。在高彤彤第一次参赛前，准备作品的那段期间，他紧张不安、思乡彷徨，时而站在窗边，望着天空中飞翔的鸟。 他知道，他只能坚定执着、努力不懈地面对自己的选择。因此，他为这把小提琴命名【Rondine】，中文译名为【燕子】，为其赋予了自由自在、无拘无束的意义。提琴制作需要极度严谨的工作状态，但从细微之处可以反映出高彤彤同样也是一位非常浪漫的艺术家。
关于奖项，节选部分获奖资讯如下：
1993年 第四届意大利全国提琴制作比赛，小提琴获“克雷莫那提琴制作艺术奖”。
1993 Liuteria Artistica Cremonese in the 4th Baveno Violin Making Competition.
1994年 第二届柴科夫斯基国际提琴制作比赛，小提琴获“决赛奖”。
1994 Final Prize in the Tchaikovsky II International Violin Makers’ Competition.
1994年 意大利第七届以提琴制作巨匠“安东尼奥 斯特拉第瓦利”命名的国际提琴制作比赛，小提琴获第六名，中提琴第七名。
1994 The 6th Prize for violin and the 7th Prize for viola in the 7th Triennale Internazionale di Cremona.
1995年 意大利第五届全国提琴制作比赛，小提琴获第一名，金奖，同时还获得以该比赛的举办城市巴维诺命名的“最佳参赛作品”金奖;大提琴获第一名，金奖。
1995 Three gold medals for violin and cello in the 5th Baveno Violin Making Competition.
1996年 波兰第九届维尼亚夫斯基国际小提琴制作比赛，获铜奖。这是该比赛自1957年举办以来，华人首次获奖。
1996 Bronze Medal in the 9th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Making Competition.
1998年，高彤彤提琴制作工作室在北京正式成立。
他制作的提琴，在品质上非常出色，尤其注重遵循意大利艺术风格的延续。他亲自完成全流程乐器制作、不放过每一个细节，同时也从事提琴的修复。 他制作的小提琴，覆盖着一个艺术感、略带古朴味道的油漆，一个全新调制的红棕色彩，并生成了丰富色调。琴的音色具有饱满丰富的语调性，且易于发声。众所周知，他总是以最高标准要求自己的工作，并在重视传统原则中，注入个人的创作思维。 他的乐器由来自意大利、奥地利、德国、美国、日本、韩国、新加坡、台湾、香港等多个国家和地区的演奏家演奏或是私人收藏。 许多参加国际比赛的中国音乐家用高彤彤制作的乐器参赛，并获得金奖。例如，在普里姆罗斯·奥中提琴大赛中，中国音乐家用中国人制造的乐器获得金奖，这是史无前例的历史光荣感。『家』是那个你即使离开多年，也永远欢迎你和使你拥有归属感的地方，高彤彤在祖国实现了他的梦想。
为全球年轻制琴师们构建梦想之窗、未来之门
2019年，高彤彤受邀并获聘为中央音乐学院提琴制作研究中心副主任。他作为国际小提琴和琴弓协会会员，享有国际声誉。他将全部时间倾注于此：首先更新工作室，使研究中心焕然一新。在他看来，无论硬件设施还是软件条件都应具有时代特点、实用且舒适，一个具有安静并极富学术的地方并非装饰奢华浪费。 另一方面，开始聘任世界各地的全球制琴名家。由于他努力构建『全球大师专家成员』组织，也因此中国提琴制作方面的国际化程度，也密切影响着全球相关领域变化。
中央音乐学院提琴制作研究中心是一个具有顶尖专业知识和资源的机构，我们能够预见其前途一片光明。高彤彤不仅以国际大师的身份来到这里，还把他拥有的国际关系资源带到学校和师生间。世界最著名的弦乐器宝库——台湾奇美博物馆，已与中央音乐学院签订《提琴资源共享协议》，以支持高教授的教育理念。全球提琴制作的领域聚光灯已开启，世界的注意力已迅速转移到了中央音乐学院。奇美博物馆收藏了超过1376件弦乐器和超过740把琴弓，时间跨度从公元1550年至公元2000年。其馆藏和电子信息化程度，无论在历史定位或代表性方面，不仅是世界的顶级瑰宝、并且独步全球。自2019年夏季以来，中央音乐学院提琴制作研究中心的师生都已享受这些资源。
2019年9月，已故世界小提琴大师乔·巴塔·莫拉西的长孙朱利奥·莫拉西成为中央音乐学院提琴制作研究中心小提琴制作和研究专业的学生，他来自意大利提琴的发源地克雷莫纳，成为新中国成立以来，首名来自意大利的国际学生。高彤彤愿意成为他们梦想的窗口、成为他们未来的大门，为全球年轻人建立成就和梦想中心。正如他的另一把获奖小提琴：【Felicità】费利西特（中译是 "快乐"）所喻，他对学生唯一的愿望是满怀希望地考入，充满自信地毕业。艺术的画面是无所限制、独一无二，难以被机器取代的绚丽线条，它的美妙与天然等，都与自然现象有关。高彤彤也期许作为青年制琴师希望的创新开拓者，当学生获得学校的认可时，也意味”一切皆有可能”以及”希望之泉永不尽”。
高彤彤提琴自摄影作品
