More than a string to one’s bow

"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?” gifted scientist Albert Einstein once said. 

Unbeknown to many, the theoretical physicist was also an avid music enthusiast and reportedly played the violin beautifully.
An international event taking place in Malta in the coming days will celebrate the melodious sound of this instrument and also highlight its aesthetics, with particular attention given to the non-classical form of the violin family, which includes the viola and cello.
The Malta International Violin-Making Competition will see the participation of 55 luthiers from across the world, including Australia, the US, China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and several European countries, who will present about 100 stringed instruments, including their bows, made from scratch.
The violin, viola and cello were first made in the early 16th century, in Italy, but the overall pattern of these instruments as we know them today was set in the 17th century by luthiers like the celebrated Amati family (1538-1740) of Cremona, Italy; Jakob Stainer (1619-1683), the earliest and best known Austrian and Germanic luthier; and Italian legend Antonio...