Okkyum Kim 16 1/4" viola, Irvine, California, 2025 | Metzler Violins
supple, spirited, versatile
About the Instrument
This viola has a smooth, supple quality while maintaining a clarity and nimbleness making this a remarkably playable instrument ideal for solo or group play. This viola has a rich golden varnish over a golden ground that brings out its strong medium curl on the two-piece maple back. Similar flames run along its ribs, neck, and scroll. The instrument has been thoughtfully antiqued and shaded by its maker.
Interior label reads: “Okkyum Kim / Fece in California l’anno 2025”
Length: 410 mm
Upper Bouts: 197 mm
Middle: 132 mm
Lower Bouts: 146 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
supple, spirited, versatile
About the Instrument
This viola has a smooth, supple quality while maintaining a clarity and nimbleness making this a remarkably playable instrument ideal for solo or group play. This viola has a rich golden varnish over a golden ground that brings out its strong medium curl on the two-piece maple back. Similar flames run along its ribs, neck, and scroll. The instrument has been thoughtfully antiqued and shaded by its maker.
Interior label reads: “Okkyum Kim / Fece in California l’anno 2025”
Length: 410 mm
Upper Bouts: 197 mm
Middle: 132 mm
Lower Bouts: 146 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/
