We are a multi-generational violin shop with a passion
for the performing arts and quality, craftsman instruments.
Our People
Kenneth K. Beckmann
“Through interaction and consultation with colleagues and musicians it is my goal to create instruments that are interesting and beautiful, both visually and acoustically, within the well-established parameters of the great tradition of violin making. My ultimate goal is to serve music and the musicians.”
Kenneth Beckmann is a violin maker living in the Kansas City area where he has served the musical community since opening the Beckmann Violin Shop in 1989. For more than four decades he has been making award-winning stringed instruments for professional musicians.
His instruments are played in many professional orchestras in the United States and have been used in performances in many of the great concert halls across North America and Europe. His instruments have won numerous awards at the Violin Society of America international competitions and he is a member of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers.
Ken was born in Springfield, Illinois, raised in the Chicago area, and studied string bass performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 1979 he left school to begin an apprenticeship in violin making. He studied with and worked for Paul Schuback and Peter Shaw in Portland, Oregon and Houston, Texas.
He was privileged to work closely with V. Y. Nigogosian at the Oberlin summer restoration workshop in Oberlin, Ohio. The greatest influence on his work has been his association with Amos Hargrave for more than twenty years.
Matt Beckmann
Matt Beckmann has spent his life around music – from sweeping floors at the violin shop with his dad to hanging around backstage at the Kansas City Symphony where his mom was a violinist, the musical community of Kansas City has always been a part of his life. Matt started cello lessons at the age of five, and after a winding journey through other interests including ice hockey, science, and a degree in Chemistry from St. Olaf College, Matt received a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. He has played with many professional orchestras and chamber music festivals across the US, and performs regularly with the Kansas City Symphony.
All along the way, Matt accompanied his dad on visits to other violin shops and soaked in the stories, great instruments, and the strong professional and personal friendships that Ken had made over his career. When Matt and his wife, Alyssa, moved to Kansas City in 2014, Matt started spending more time at the violin shop and for the first time really began to work with his dad, managing the rental program and becoming interested in helping musicians find the right instrument or bow.
“A common theme for me has always been “why do some instruments and bows suit one player and not another?” The idea that there’s a perfect instrument or bow for a particular musician is one worth chasing – and is a fascinating journey. Helping musicians find their best playing partner, whether they’re purchasing their first violin or their tenth bow, is something that I find very exciting.”
Matt and his wife live in Prairie Village with their two children, Miles and Carina. They are proud Suzuki parents, and are active in the educational community through the Kansas City Suzuki Academy, founded by Alyssa Beckmann in 2015.
