Having addressed folk music traditions in the Nordic region, we applied to the Erasmus+ programme in order to include classical musical instrument makers from across the Nordic countries. The application was approved. 

The project aimed to examine historical developments, the current situation, and future needs within the field of classical musical instrument making. This included the woodwind group, the brass instrument group, violin and guitar making, accordion making, church organ building, piano technology, and music electronics. 

Representatives from the partner group travelled throughout Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the Baltic countries, and Germany. During these visits, we met with musical instrument makers capable of repairing, restoring, and tuning instruments. In order to assess the sector’s need for qualified professionals, visits were conducted to symphony orchestras, churches, concert halls, music academies, universities, music museums, festivals, importers, major wholesalers, large music retailers, and companies such as Yamaha Europe, Steinway & Sons Europe, Fender Europe, GEWA, as well as instrument-making schools. The only instrument-making schools identified in the Nordic region were the guitar-making school in Stockholm and the guitar-making school in Ikaalinen, Finland. 

With regard to educational institutions, the Helsinki Conservatory—which also trains piano tuners and repair technicians—currently offers a two-year programme. However, there are no traditional, comprehensive educational programmes in the Nordic and Baltic regions that provide professional-level training in musical instrument building, repair, restoration, and tuning.

There are two relevant institutions, the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and the Norwegian Academy of Music. Both offer one day per week of instrument tuning over a two-year period. Across the Nordic region, most crafts currently have no apprentices, which has become a rarity. Furthermore, nearly all past and present training programmes have included only minimal theoretical instruction.

To operate professionally as a tuner, repairer, or restorer, one must also hold a formally recognised education in musical instrument making. 

With regard to the number of musical instrument makers, only a small number remain across the eight instrument groups, and in some of these groups there are none at all. Among those still active as makers, the majority are between 60 and 90 years of age. In the field of accordion making, there is only one remaining maker in Norway and the Nordic region who continues to build instruments, and there is likewise only one remaining piano builder. In the field of church organ building, there is one organ-building company remaining in Norway, one in Finland, and one in Iceland. In Sweden, there is only a single organ-building firm approved by the Riksantikvarieämbetet to carry out church organ restoration. In Sweden alone, there are more than 2,500 church organs requiring tuning, restoration, and related work. Denmark has a somewhat higher number of active church organ builders.

Within the group of woodwind instrument makers, there is a single company in Denmark that manufactures saxophones. In addition, a small number of makers specialise in historical woodwind instruments in Norway and Finland. In the field of brass instrument making, there is one builder in Denmark and one in Sweden. As a result of educational provision in Finland and Sweden, as well as the work of the undersigned institution (the Musical Instrument Academy), a limited number of guitar makers and violin makers are active. Furthermore, there are some instrument makers who have received their education in countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom. 

There are numerous major cities across the Nordic region that host symphony orchestras and similar institutions but lack resident musical instrument makers.

Project status:
Completed and approved by Erasmus+ programme.