Su Ding Hsuan

Everyone has dreams in their childhood, but most people’s dreams often change or fade away with the passage of time. However, Su Ding Hsuan’s childhood dream has persisted more than half a century, and in fulfilling his own dream, he has also enabled many violin enthusiasts to own and play exquisite violins with sound quality comparable to that of antique masterpieces.

The Connection to Violins from Childhood

Su Ding Hsuan was born into a woodworking family in Donggang, Pingtung, Taiwan, a village primarily engaged in fishing and agriculture. In the second grade of elementary school, he happened to pass by a Japanese-style dormitory of an elementary school principal and saw the principal’s son playing a violin. The beautiful and delicate sound of the violin, along with its elegant appearance, deeply moved him, igniting a passionate desire within him to one day own a violin of his own. At that time, Taiwan had just been restored, and poverty was widespread; most families struggled to afford two meals a day, let alone pay for violin lessons or buy an instrument.

By chance, a customer brought an old violin from the Japanese occupation era to Su Ding Hsuan’s home for woodworking repairs. This was the first time he had ever touched a violin. To realize his dream, Su Ding Hsuan traced the outline of that violin and learned woodworking skills from his father during his spare time.

At the age of fourteen, he began to self-learn how to make violins. Although the first violin he made was rough, had poor sound quality, and was not very accurate in size, it established a lifelong bond between him and violin making. Su Ding Hsuan believes that violins have a spirit; a good violin will resonate with its player, providing whatever the player desires.