Scott Cao STA 750E Viola

European spruce top and maple back
Italian spruce
Indian ebony fingerboard
Hill style ebony fittings
Built and varnished in Guangzho

A little bit about Scott Cao,

Scott Shu-Kun Cao was born in Guangzhou, 1956 into a musical family. Growing up, he loved playing numerous instruments. Following that passion, he was admitted to the Guangzhou No. 2 Light Industry Municipal Bureau Professional Technical School where he studied violin making with Xu Fu and Liang Guo Hui.

Cao moved to the United States in 1985 and worked on restoring and repairing fine, rare instruments in California. He studied around Roland Feller, Hans Weisshaar, and Luiz Bellini.

In 1989, Cao had already established his own violin factory in Guangzhou, China, and went on to establish his own studio and violin shop in California, USA. Instruments that were personally made by Scott have taken numerous awards in international competitions, including gold, silver, and certificates of merits. Similarly, Cao’s own students have won many awards in international violin making competitions.

Scott Cao is one of if not the most well-known Chinese makers. His violins are owned and played regularly by virtuosos and collected internationally. See a list of awards and those who own Scott’s violins below.