It was wonderful to meet so many of our readers and followers during the annual trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany. Take a look at a few photos from the weekend
Thank you to everyone who visited The Strad’s stand at the 2026 akustika trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany, and took away a free copy of our April 2026 issue. It was great to meet so many of our contributors and subscribers face to face, and to speak to so many fellow exhibitors, from violin and bow makers to sheet music publishers, accessories dealers, music colleges and lutherie schools.
This year’s event took place at Messe Nürnberg from 24 to 26 March. A total of 273 exhibitors from 25 countries took part, with most of Hall 7A given over to stringed instruments and sheet music. Events ranged from traditional concerts, such as that given by the ‘Twiolins’ (Marie-Luise Dingler and Marta Danilkovich) performing on historic instruments, to lectures, presentations and an unusual piece of performance art by violinist Jaming Jones, who played on a white violin while being sprayed with paint on all sides. Plus, Dutch violinist Yvonne Smeulers gave a performance on the 1692 ‘Margaret Harrison’ Stradivari violin and the 1757 ‘Lady S’ violin by G.B. Guadagnini.
According to organisers, this year’s event attracted around 11,500 visitors from 49 countries. ‘Especially in the current climate, music is one of the few things that connects people across borders, and this can be experienced everywhere at akustika,’ said Henning and Thilo Könicke, the managing directors of akustika’s organisers, AFAG. ‘It is always impressive to meet the many instrument makers and craft workshops here in person and gain an insight into their work.’
Read: Obituary: violinist Günter Pichler (1940–2026)
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