Players

Malte Schaefer, first principal violist of the philharmonic state orchestra in Mainz, with his thoughts on using the Luis & Clark Viola in a professional setting.   The philharmonic state orchestra in Mainz is one of the oldest professional ensembles worldwide with a tradition of more than 505 years. "I love to play my Luis [...]

“I really love this instrument... we can play music that is traditional, but actually we are using technology to make it better.” Yo Yo Ma, Cellist and Luis and Clark owner

“My Luis and Clark viola is very easy and a pleasure to play in the orchestra, including orchestral solos, producing very rich and powerful sound, complemented by numerous remarks from the audience members.” Alexander Mishnaevski, Principal Viola, Detroit Symphony Orchestra

My Luis and Clark has much power, depth, and body to the sound, as if it were a much larger viola.

Cellist Erik Friedlander is a composer, an improviser, and a veteran of NYC's Downtown scene. Friedlander started studying music at an early age, beginning at 5 with guitar, and then at 8, cello lessons.

“My Luis & Clark cello, with its truly stunning sound and elegant appearance, presents an invitation for any cellist to take a leap into the future of music-making. I use it for country, classical and jazz—I love it!”

“My Luis and Clark carbon fiber cello stays with me every step of the way. From the most intimate recording session to the raucous demands of performing and traveling. I’m a believer.” Michael Bacon, The Bacon Brothers

“My Luis and Clark has a marvelous sound and plays easily.” - Principal violist of the Welsh National Opera

In the pop/rock world, Matt's eclectic adventures have included touring with the Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, and the Indigo Girls, as well as performing and/or recording with Tom Waits, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie MacMaster, Tracy Chapman and others. During his many years in San Francisco, Matt collaborated with various musicians, including Ben Goldberg, Scott Amendola, Gino Robair, Myles Boisen, John Schott, and Pamela Z. He founded Oranj Symphonette, which recorded two CD's for Rykodisc and went on to play many of the major jazz festivals, from Monterey to Montreal.

“My viola is fun to play and it is as easy to produce a big sound as it is to play soft. Every time I take this instrument out of its case, I instantly get exited and can not wait to start playing!”

Lindsey Sterling is a recent convert to Luis & Clark with a fantastic carbon-fiber violin. Her recent video on youtube is over 6 million hits! Take a look at what one superstar is doing with her instrument.

What do you get when you mix up a marketing genius that does video, a studio engineer that writes music, a pianist that had a successful solo career, and a cellist that does pretty much everything? The Piano Guys: a miraculous meeting of “guys” with the same intrinsic purpose – to make a positive impact in the lives of people all over the world through music videos.

"It's so rare to find any instrument with as much versatility as this one. It'll blow any electric instrument off the stage with its pure, first-rate, powerhouse sound." Marissa Licata, Rock Violinist, Jethro Tull

Jasmine Beams was born in Santa Rosa, California. She began her violin lesson at age of 6, and became the concertmaster of the Shasta Youth Symphony in Redding, CA when she was 13. Currently she is Solo Viola of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra in Finland and previously Deputy Principal viola in the Finnish National Opera.

Roxana Moisanu (concert harp and Celtic harp) and Mladen Spasinovici (cello), both solo instrumentalists in the orchestra of the Bucharest National Opera.