Trained as a violin and keyboard-instrument maker, Stewart Pollens (born in New York, 1949) served as the Conservator of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1976–2006. His work there included the restoration and maintenance of the museum's encyclopedic collection of over 5,000 instruments, as well as research, writing, and lecturing on the collection.
After leaving the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pollens formed Violin Advisor, LLC, a consulting firm that advises purchasers of fine violins. He continues to conduct research and write on the subject of musical instruments, including an article published in the May 2009 issue of The Strad on a scientific analysis of Stradivari's instrument varnish. Pollens is frequently interviewed by publications that most recently include The New York Times and Slate.
In addition to his work at Violin Advisor, Stewart Pollens restores important stringed and early keyboard instruments for museums (including an early New York piano for the Merchant's House Museum), private collectors, and musicians. His book Stradivari was published in February 2010 by Cambridge University Press and includes new biographical information and detailed analyses of Stradivari's workshop materials preserved in the Museo Stradivariano in Cremona. Pollens's seminal work on the history of the piano, The Early Pianoforte (Cambridge University Press), was republished in paperback in 2009.
Stewart Pollens is married to the concert violinist Stephanie Chase.
Read more about Stewart Pollens: Publications and Activities, Awards and Profiles, See Also
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