Reuning & Son Violins

Reuning & Son Violins was founded in the 1970s in Ithaca, New York, by Sanford and Joan Reuning, together with their son, Christopher Reuning. Sandy and Joan are both professional violinist/violists and educators who were pioneers of the Suzuki method. Chris is a cellist and trained as a violin repairman at the House of Primavera in Philadelphia. The Reuning family combined their talents, opening a shop that found a niche in furnishing fine small-sized instruments to a national clientele. In 1984, Chris purchased the business from his parents and opened in new premises in Ithaca. The business expanded rapidly into fine instruments, and 10 years later, Chris felt it was time to relocate to a larger and more accessible city. Thus, in 1994, Reuning & Son Violins opened in Boston’s South End. The move to Boston was a defining moment in the expansion of Reuning & Son Violins, which is now considered one of the world’s most respected dealers of fine violins, violas, cellos, and bows. In 2005, Chris formed Carriage House Violins to better serve student and amateur string players, which allowed Reuning & Son Violins to focus on elite players and high end instruments. Carriage House Violins developed into a respected brand of its own, growing into new space in Newton, Massachusetts. In 2013, Chris sold Carriage House Violins to another Newton shop, Johnson String Instrument, so that he could once again more fully focus his attention on professional level instruments and his love of research. It was also in late 2013 that Reuning & Son Violins relocated to a larger space in the historic Warren Chambers building in Boston’s Back Bay.