Domenico Montagnana (24 June 1686 – 6 March 1750)[1] was an Italian master luthier based in Venice, Italy.
His pieces, particularly his cellos, are sought after by orchestras, notable musicians or collectors, and many form parts of collections in museums.
Montagnana met a Venetian woman living in the Calle degli Stagneri/Santo Bartolomeo district, Caterina Berti, whom he married.
It seems that this final blow was too much for Montagnana, who until then had been seeking refuge in his workshop and spending a much longer time than usual on the meticulous details of his instruments.
Artists who play or have played on Montagnanas include Guilhermina Suggia, Stephen Kates, Lionel Tertis, Lynn Harrell, Mischa Maisky, Truls Mørk, Alfred Wallenstein, Josef Roismann, Steven Isserlis, Raphael Wallfisch, Yo-Yo Ma, Paul Watkins, Maurice Eisenberg, Emanuel Feuermann, Daniel Saidenberg, Orlando Cole, Sevak Avanesyan, Nathaniel Rosen, Boris Andrianov, Galen Kelch, Virgil Boutellis-Taft,[4] Sylvia Lent,[5] Ralph Kirshbaum, Ilya Finkelshteyn , István Várdai,[6] and Heinrich Schiff.