Whisper Violin

After years of performing at the highest level, virtuoso violinist Monica Germino was diagnosed with hyperacusis (extreme sensitivity to sound) and had to abandon her usual performances. As a result, special compositions have been written for the musician, most notably MUTED by composer Louis Andriessen, and custom violins have been designed for her to perform. One of those is a collaboration between Dutch designer Marcel Wanders and built by master Bas Maas of the Netherlands.

Partly printed in 3D, lovely ornamented, the whisper violin uses special plugs to damper sound volume and protect its performer.

The design shows a strong sumo man, who holds up the weight of the strings.