Jean-Benoit Stensland cello, Montreal 2014

Canadian luthier Jean-Benoît Stensland began his apprenticeship in Montréal under Antoine Robichaud. Awarded a Canada Art Council grant in 1980, Stensland went to Italy to study at the International School of Violin Making in Cremona. Stensland returned to Canada in 1984 to open a workshop with luthier Thérèse Girard in downtown Montréal, where he has made more than 350 instruments, including over forty cellos. His numerous awards include a Certificate of Merit for a violin at the Violin Society of America in 1984. One of Stensland’s cellos is in the collection of the renowned Canadian Museum of Civilization in Québec. His instruments are owned by professional players worldwide.