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Philosophy

 To create is to listen.

To listen to the musician, to the sound, to the silence between the words.
Each person feels music differently, and the words used to describe it never carry just one meaning.

My aim is to create a sensitive connection between the musician and the music,
between gesture and sound, between tool and soul.

My role, as a craftsman, is not to impose a truth,
but to be attentive, humble, and available.
To search, together with the musician, for a sound that resembles them —
a sound true to their personality, that respects differences, contrasts,
and the silences that give shape to the whole.

It is in these subtle nuances, in what is left unsaid,
that true harmony is born.
Each instrument, each gesture, each adjustment
is a search for balance between tension and vibration,
between what resonates and what soothes.

The workshop is an open space:
to ask for advice, try out an instrument, have one repaired,
or simply talk about music around the workbench.
A place of sharing, resonance, and encounter.
Taka Kigawa

 Originally from Japan, I was drawn to the art of violin making at an early age.
At 16, I joined the violin making school in Cremona — Italy’s sacred city of lutherie.
After earning my diploma as Maestro Liutaio, I moved to Spain to work in the workshop of Rodolfo Salerno.

In 2006, in Provence, I discovered the magic of the baroque world through my meeting with luthier Pierre Jaquier.
A specialist in viola da gambas and now sadly passed away, Master Jaquier introduced me to the making of baroque instruments.

I then honed my skills in restoration, working in several workshops — in Versailles, Paris, and then Lyon, with Alexandre Snitkovski —
where I handled precious instruments (Italian, from the 17th and 18th centuries...).
There, I was taught craftsmanship, high standards, and deep respect for the art of fine restoration.

In 2013, I opened my own workshop in France — the land of the viola da gamba — and have continued to perfect my making of these instruments.
Passionate about baroque instruments, I now specialize in building viola da gambas,
while continuing to grow within the world of restoration.