My experience with my viola from Mr. Stankov has been overwhelmingly positive. I have been playing on it since July 2021 and it has been a pleasure to learn and perform repertoire on it. The sound is not just rich but also wonderfully refined. The strings are incredibly well balanced, with the C string e specially having a delightful power and warmth. Mr. Stankov’s attention to detail was exemplary in that he has not only made a viola which is beautiful to play, but he has ensured that it would be able to cope with the humid climate of my home city. I would highly recommend Mr. Stankov’s instruments.

Julian DuthoitBrisbane, Australia

I would like to say that my violin made by Ivan Stankov is very beautiful and has brilliant sounds. My daughter and I are very happy to play it. He is a very good luthier and also a very kind person. I recommend his violins very much.

Tae ItoJapan

I own two violins made by Ivan Stankov for over ten years, and I love playing them. The first is 2007 Guarneri Cannone model, which is very rich in colors and overtones. The second is 2006 Stradivari Titian model. This violin has powerful, warm and resonant sound that projects extremely well. Although the character and sound of each violin is different, they share same impressive workmanship and finish. I recommend Stankov violins highly.

Kam LeeUSA

I would like to express my exceptional gratitude for our work during these 15 fruitful years. The sound researches, which we made together, I think, have contributed a lot to clarifying the etymology of violin sound generation. Our observations on the impact on the ease of playing violoncello, depending on the different corpus models, allowed me to synthesize a lot of important conclusions. And the experiments with the various model shapes and, above all, viola body length I believe have allowed to prove and challenge many misconceptions about the construction and viola making rules. I hope that in the next 15 years, we will continue our many valuable researches on how to improve acoustic performance in violin making.

Dr. Hristo HristovPh.D., D.Sc. violoncello player and scientist

The quality of workmanship and attention to detail evident in the instruments of Ivan Stankov is quite exceptional. He is meticulous craftsman who ensures that every instrument he makes receives the same amount of time and patience and love, to produce an individual and unique instrument every time. I have both a Montagnana model and Stradavari model Cello by Ivan Stankov, now 3 and 5 years old respectively. The sound of both instruments is warm and rich, with a wonderful ease of playing right up in to the highest register. There is a lovely rich sonority on the C String. The sound continues to develop beautifully as the instruments mature. I can thoroughly recommend the instruments of Ivan Stankov.

John BenzSydney, Australia

I have had the pleasure to hear three marvelous Cellos by Ivan Stankov, which had a big and warm sound, so I decided to have my own one built by him. I requested the large Montagnana model. I'm very satisfied with it, the wood has a beautiful shaping and texture and I enjoy playing that instrument, it is intuitive to play and has a very generous and warm quality. Thank you for this wonderful instrument Ivan!

Samuel LutzkerCellist at the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich

This is just to let you know that I am enjoying my violin very much. I think it is very easy to play and it sounds great. It inspires me to become the best player I can be. Thank you so much for building it!

Yola ClaasenThe Netherlands

I wanted to say a huge thank you! I absolutely love the violin, it has a fantastic huge sound and such a beautiful warm tone. It is really fantastic!! I love it. Thank you very much for everything.

Darcy DauthAustralia

I was recommended by Mr. Takaragi and bought a cello. Friends and teachers sound surprisingly well and I am happy to play musical instrument. A rich sound does your cello, and a sound becomes able to start the grain of wood easily than before beautifully, and going is surprised at the difference. When "it was the good musical instrument which sounded better if I played it", it was praised highly to a teacher. Because it is a greenhorn, ascetic practices are necessary, but want to play it for a long time from now on still more.

Fumiko Yamanishi

I have now had a Stradivari cello made by Ivan Stankov for three years and the quality of his work is impeccable. The tone of the instrument is both rich and clear and while lovely to play from the first, the sound continues to get better and better the more it is played. The neck joint in my cello has been reinforced to withstand expansion from the Australian heat demonstrating Ivan’s capability to adapt to the particular requirements of his clients. Not only is the sound quality of the instrument a testament to his skill as an instrument maker but the instruments themselves are beautiful pieces to look at. His craftsmanship is truly exemplary and the cellos produced are of enduring quality. I am very grateful to own an instrument of such high standard and can highly recommend the cellos of Ivan Stankov.

Louisa LovaszWollongong, Australia