Shem Mackey

Shem Mackey has been making musical instruments for over 30 years. He received training at the London College of Furniture specialising in early bowed instruments and completed a Master’s degree at London Metropolitan University with original research into viol construction in 2010. Shem is a founder member of the British Violin Making Association, as well as the founder-editor of its quarterly magazine. Shem’s research into instrument construction has been published in The Strad, Early Music and various other academic and trade publications. The luthier is much sought-after as a maker and teacher and has built instruments for many prominent performers throughout the world. Shem has been a QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust) Scholar since 1998 and in 2014 he received the QEST Award for Excellence sponsored by Thomas Fattorini.

Masterful Gestures Exhibition