About the Violin maker

Master violin maker Oleg Semenukha was born in Ukraine in 1974. Between 1989 and 1993 he studied artistic woodcarving, and later, from 1995 to 2002, sculpture at the Academy of Arts in Lviv.

He acquired the foundations of violin making in Ukraine, where he built his first violin.

Oleg Semenukha first came to the Czech Republic in 1996, working for a year in a company producing string instruments. It was during this time that he decided to become a violin maker. After completing his studies in Lviv, he returned to the Czech Republic in 2004 and worked for another five years at the same company, building violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and viols. In 2009 he established his own workshop, where he continues to work today in Kladno. He focuses primarily on crafting new violins, violas, and cellos, as well as on repairs and restoration.

His teachers were renowned Czech violin makers
Dalibor Bzirský and Jan Špidlen. In 2014 he became a member of the
Guild of Prague Violin Makers, (Cech houslařů pražských)
and in 2015 he joined the Association of Artistic Violin Makers
(Kruh umělců houslařů).

Oleg Semenukha has participated in numerous international violin-making competitions in Italy, Germany, France, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. He considers his greatest achievements to be 10th place for a viola at the Cremona Triennale in 2012 and 3rd prize for sound at the Prague competition in 2025.

Many Czech students and professional musicians play his instruments (see Photo Gallery). Among them are Professor Jan Řezníček, FOK concertmaster Tomáš Duda, and violist Olena Doubová. More about violin maker