Meister Chung Choon-sub

An interesting report on "the only Korean to [have] graduate[d] from the violin division of the department of musical instrument making at Westsachsischen Hochschule Zwickau (University of Applied Sciences), Markneukirchen, Germany" — From the 'Meister's' Fingertips: Art of Violin Making. His German title "mean[s] that he has inherited traditions and secrets of a craft that is usually passed on from father to son" and "comes with the added bonus of extraordinary tax reductions." A brief biograophical sketch:

Born in Gangwon Province in 1967, Chung studied the violin. But he felt the limitations of his potential as a concert violinist and became interested in violin making. When he moved to Germany in the mid-1990s, however, it became clear that learning the craft would be almost impossible as an outsider. "In Germany, violin making is a traditional art and heritage that stays inside the family," he said, explaining that he resorted to learning on his own by buying old instruments and tearing them apart.

However, a great stroke of luck enabled him to meet the great meister Adamick Fank. But the apprenticeship was cut short due to the meister's ill health, and Chung found himself knocking on the doors of 23 German meisters from a list given to him by his former teacher. "They all said 'nein' (no) and one even told me to go back to China," he said.

But good fortune was on his side and Chung had the privilege of studying under another esteemed meister, Adorf Niederhauser. In the meantime, he signed on with an arts management agency and made a living as a violinist.

After four years he finally had the prerequisites to apply to the top German university and became one of the 10 students admitted to the program each year. He was also among the few to persevere through the rigorous training ― and other hurdles such as racial discrimination ― for four years. His performance skills were a plus and he was even selected to play one of his own instruments on national television. To this day he remains the only Korean violin maker to graduate from his alma mater.

Despite the enormous tax cuts he could enjoy in Germany, Chung returned home in 2004. The meister now produces "Made in Korea" instruments in his studio in Seocho-dong, Deutsch String (www.deutschstring.com).