Oleg’s credo in creating a viola is that it should facilitate fast virtuoso work as well as having a wonderfully rich and big deep sound while at the same time being anatomically safe and comfortable to play at an advanced level for extended periods of time.

All of the instruments in his creative portfolio are professional violas of the finest quality made to the highest standards of his uncompromising craftsmanship. Unlike most violinmakers – many of whom have graduated from being furniture makers by trade - Oleg is not only a superb craftsman but first and foremost a highly trained musician and virtuoso performer.

He is arguably the only violinmaker who is able to provide a prerecorded music CD on which the creator of the instrument performs major works on his own violas. His performances include solo works by Schostakovitch and Schnittke as well as the Paganini Sonata, the Bach Chaconne in G minor and some of the most difficult and important orchestral excerpts such as those by Richard Strauss, Ginastera etc.

This unique provision gives potential purchasers the opportunity to “know what they are getting” in cases where they are too far away to be able to try out the instrument themselves, since the sound quality, dynamic range and technical aspects are clearly apparent. Detailed photographs on the web site further provide a clear picture of various views of the instrument itself.

Oleg’s current portfolio includes six original specialized violas, particularly - but not exclusively - suited to the following works:

#1 Virtuoso works e.g. Paganini Sonata and Capriccios etc
#2 Solo Romantic music
#3 Solo Impressionist repertoire, Bartok, Hindemith etc as well as chamber music
#4 Solo Bach and classical music as well as virtuoso works
#5 Solo modern music e.g. Schnittke, Shostakovitch, Bartok, Lutoslawski
#7 5-string Konzertmeister viola especially designed for the Sancho Panza solo from Don Quixote by Richard Strauss, which is suitable for all big orchestral works as well as viola da gamba sonatas. Remarkably, the full cello repertoire can also easily be played on this viola in the original key and at the original pitch, including Schubert’s demanding Arpeggione Sonata for Violoncello (which usually requires transposition up an octave when performed on the viola).

Oleg has also included #6 and #8 as examples of once-off classical instruments restored by him to his exacting standards.

A choice may be made from the six original models in Oleg’s current viola portfolio with a proportionate enlargement or reduction on each one to suit individual physical requirements after full discussion on request. Interestingly enough #1 and #2 have proved very successful and popular as is.

A highly specialized consultation may also be arranged for professional performance requirements both specifically (e.g. a viola specially suited for solo work such as the Brahms F minor Sonata) and generally (e.g. an orchestral viola allowing excessively long hours of rehearsal and performance without causing undue fatigue or anatomical problems where all strings are equal and mistakes are forgiven!)