Panormo, Vincenzo (EN)

Panormo Vincenzo Trusiano, *30 November 1734 Monreale (near Palermo), †ca. 1813 London. He came from a family of Sicilian luthiers. He probably learned the basics of the craft from his father, Gaspar Trusiano, and later perhaps from N. Gagliano in Naples, where he also made woodwind instruments for a short time, the production of which was later taken over by his brother Giovanni. After leaving his native Sicily, he changed his surname from “Trusiano” to “Panormo”, derived from the Latin name for Palermo (Panormus). In 1772, he left for Dublin, then London, later Marseille and Paris, where he stayed until the outbreak of the revolution, and finally returned to London, where in 1791 he became an assistant in the renowned workshop of John Betts. Attributing his instruments poses serious difficulties, since he rarely (like his successors) labelled them with luthier’s labels (printed in France, handwritten in England); occasionally, he would burn his name onto the back plate. Panormo was one of the most outstanding violin makers of his time; thanks to his work, English violin making reached its peak. He modelled his work on the Cremonese school, mainly on various models by N. Amati and A. Stradivari. A particularly characteristic feature of his violins is the use of English sycamore with wide grain; during his time in Dublin, according to tradition, he obtained wood from billiard tables. In addition to violins, he also built violas, cellos and double basses; his instruments, with their excellent sound qualities and perfect varnish, were already highly prized in the second half of the 19th century. His pupils included his sons Joseph, George and Louis, as well as W. Taylor, L. Hill and M. Hardie.

Literature: W.M. Morris British Violin Makers, London 1904, 2nd edition 1920; Alte Meistergeigen, vol. 8, Frankfurt am Main 1982; J. Dilworth Father Figure and Future Generations, “The Strad” XCVI, 1985 and XCVII, 1986; J. Becher Fehlendes Glied in der Panormo-Saga, “Das Orchester” XXXVI, 1988; F. Carreras Flute making in Italy during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, in: Geschichte, Bauweise und Spieltechnik der Querflöte: 27. Musikinstrumentenbau-Symposium Michaelstein, ed. E. Boje, H. Schmuhl, M. Lustig, “Michaelsteiner Konferenzberichte” LXXIV, 2008; I. de Avena Braga The Panormo Alto Recorder: a Dolce Flauto Dolce?, “Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society” XXXVIII, 2012; T. Baker, J. Dilworth, A. Fairfax The British Violin: 400 Years Of Violin Making In The British Isles, British Violin Making Association, London 2003; G.P. di Stefano Documentary Evidence Concerning the Early History of Vincenzo Trusiano and the Panormo Family of Instrument Makers in Italy, “Journal of the Violin Society of America” XXIV/2, 2014; A. Fairfax Panormo: The Life and Work of Vincenzo and His Sons, An Exhibition Catalogue, 2016; B. Hebbert Joseph Panormo, “Violins and Violinists”, https://violinsandviolinists.com/joseph-panormo; Ph.J. Kass Identifying Some General Characteristics of Each of the Panormo Violin Makers’ Workmanship, “Strings Magazine” 2017 No. 272; Ph.J. Kass Vincenzo Panormo’s Effect on the Trade, the Craft & Place in the Modern Market, “Strings Magazine” 2017 No. 272; A. Fairfax In Focus: A c.1800 violin by Joseph Panormo, “Strad” XXII, 2023; J. Westbrook Guitar Making In Nineteenth-Century London: Louis Panormo and his Contemporaries, ASG Music Ltd., Halesowen 2023.