Okkyum Kim "Strad model" cello, Irvine, California, 2025 | Metzler Violins
soulful, bold, commanding
About the Instrument
This cello has a soulful sound, bold and projecting. Its treble register is also smooth and warm, making this a particularly versatile cello. Its tight, pronounced flames lightly fall from the center joint, and are brought out by a lustrous apricot varnish over a golden ground. The ribs and scroll have a less pronounced figure. To honor the original Stradivarius cello upon which this is modeled, the luthier has thoughtfully antiqued and shaded this instrument.
Interior label reads: “Okkyum Kim / fece in California l’anno 2025” with the luthier’s signature and stamp.
Length: 759 mm
Upper Bouts: 348 mm
Middle: 240 mm
Lower Bouts: 441 mm
About the Maker
Okkyum Kim (1974- ) is a contemporary luthier who was born in South Korea and is based in Irvine, California. Kim first began to apprentice under Mario Scida in Melbourne, Australia in 2000 and then returned to South Korea to work under Il Hun Jung in the city of Kwangju. Kim then attended the Stradivari International Violin Making School in Cremona, Italy, where he studied under Alessandro Voltini. Upon graduation, Kim joined the distinguished workshop of Carlson & Neumann in Cremona and focused on restoration. He soon began to receive accolades from the Violin Society of America, the International Violin Making Competition and the Triennale International Competition. In 2011, Kim founded his own workshop in Irvine, where he has continued to craft his stringed instruments.
https://www.okkyumviolin.com/
Description
soulful, bold, commanding
About the Instrument
This cello has a soulful sound, bold and projecting. Its treble register is also smooth and warm, making this a particularly versatile cello. Its tight, pronounced flames lightly fall from the center joint, and are brought out by a lustrous apricot varnish over a golden ground. The ribs and scroll have a less pronounced figure. To honor the original Stradivarius cello upon which this is modeled, the luthier has thoughtfully antiqued and shaded this instrument.
Interior label reads: “Okkyum Kim / fece in California l’anno 2025” with the luthier’s signature and stamp.
Length: 759 mm
Upper Bouts: 348 mm
Middle: 240 mm
Lower Bouts: 441 mm
About the Maker
Okkyum Kim (1974- ) is a contemporary luthier who was born in South Korea and is based in Irvine, California. Kim first began to apprentice under Mario Scida in Melbourne, Australia in 2000 and then returned to South Korea to work under Il Hun Jung in the city of Kwangju. Kim then attended the Stradivari International Violin Making School in Cremona, Italy, where he studied under Alessandro Voltini. Upon graduation, Kim joined the distinguished workshop of Carlson & Neumann in Cremona and focused on restoration. He soon began to receive accolades from the Violin Society of America, the International Violin Making Competition and the Triennale International Competition. In 2011, Kim founded his own workshop in Irvine, where he has continued to craft his stringed instruments.
https://www.okkyumviolin.com/
