The 2026 edition of the Mirecourt violin making competition is now an unmissable event in the world of French, European and international violin making. With luthiers from Poland, Ireland, China, Germany and Italy and more coming to face off their skills and talent, the growing influence of this event was confirmed.
This high-quality event gave us the opportunity to fully showcase how effective our dynamic range of bridges is acoustically, and illustrate the direct benefits of these bridges on the tone of an instrument. We also noticed growing support for our Despiau Planet range and the ethics behind it. Indeed, its relevance in today’s world is winning over more and more luthiers across all generations.
The newest additions to our bow parts, the result of more advanced cutting, more precisely address the needs of French bow makers, whose work continues to be regarded as world-class.
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This edition was also the occasion for a range of conferences, reminding us that the conservation of the environment and the sustainable management of natural resources remain relevant to the profession today.
The competition attracted many visitors who came to admire the incredibly high-quality instruments that stood out thanks to remarkable displays.
We had the privilege to personally award Despiau Chevalets gift vouchers to the first-prize winners of the three families of instruments in this 2026 edition: violon, viola and cello. It was a special moment where we could talk in depth with each of these artists. We discussed their specific needs regarding bridge models, and the mechanical and acoustic characteristics of wood. Each luthier had their own very precise vision of the tone they wanted to achieve with the bridge set up on their future instruments.
Emma DRAGHI POGGI (Italy)
1st prize with Milos SEYDA: Violin
Pawel KUBACKA (Poland)
1er prize: Viola
Youenn BOTHOREL (Ireland)
1st prize: Cello
To close, it’s important to note that this event was a success thanks to the exceptional organisation behind the scenes of a host of volunteers, all of whom are luthiers or bow makers, who spent many months ensuring that the event would be renowned for its quality. Huge congratulations to everyone for all their efforts and many thanks to the entire team.
Official website: www.lame-mirecourt.fr/en/2ème-concours-international
