Valeriy’s distinguished musical career began in 1963 when he was a violist in the Russian Voronezh Symphony Orchestra. That same year, he began working in bow and instrument repair and construction. Valeriy created his first handmade viola in 1971 after completing an internship in the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
Diploma For The Best Sound in the 1983 International Competition in Sophia
Valeriy received many distinctions for the acoustic quality and skilled craftsmanship of his violins. One of which is a Diploma For The Best Sound in the 1983 International Competition in Sophia, Bulgaria with the violin he build. Furthermore, his skill and reputation earned him a position as a violinmaker and restorer with the prestigious Moscow Philharmonic in 1985, eventually leading to a position with the Moscow Conservatory in 1989 as a restorer and the lead violinmaker.
That same year, a rare opportunity arose with the Russian State Collection of Unique String Instruments: the world’s largest collection of rare stringed instruments. Here, Valery was entrusted with the care and preservation of priceless instruments from master violinmakers of Italy, France, Holland, Austria and Germany, including works by Antonio Stradivarius.
One of Valery’s greatest teacher was Aleksandr Krilov( AlessandroKrilovi ), who later relocated from Russia to Cremona, Italy, the “cradle of violinmaking. Their relationship began in 1982 and in 1990, Valery went to Cremona to learn from the famous Gio Batta Morassi and also to see his friend and mentor Alessandro Krilovi.
In 1992 Valery Parfenov came to St Louis, MO from Moscow,Russia. He opened the First String Violin Shop in 1993 and has been a violist with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra since 1995. Valery was the St. Louis Philharmonic’s principal violist for 18 years. He is also a member of the Violin Society of America.
Valery has made over 130 instruments and is recognized for his acoustic work. This work enhances the instrument’s performance and clarity of sound without detracting from the individual character of the instrument.
Presently, Valery has dedicated his efforts to the First String Violin Shop, located at 3107 Brown Road in Overland, Missouri. The business features an impressive showroom with the wide variety of instruments to accommodate any musician.