The first violins of Domingos Capela were built in maple wood back in 1924 and for his own use. In that year Domingos Capela repaired the violin of the Italian musician Nicolino Milano who performed in one of the Casinos of Espinho. The work was so perfect that Milano gave him seven more violins to repair. In 1931, the italian musician returned to Espinho and offered him a job on the Hill House of London, which Domingos Capela refused. In Porto, he met the cellist Guilhermina Suggia, who invited him to work at the Conservatory of Music of Porto fixing bowed instruments. From here on, he never stopped building bowed instruments, violas and guitars.
As an artist, he became one of the greatest builders of violins and raised the name of Espinho.
Domingos Capela died in 1976, but the violins continued to be asked, now, to his son, António Ferreira Capela, with this same dedication in the same original workshop in Anta, the parish where still lives and was his birthplace.
Passionate about his father's art, he gave evidence of real value, internationally recognized. He studied in Paris, Mirecourt and Cremona, Italy, with scholarships from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. His studies enabled him to perfect the violins construction technique.
In 1963, he participated in a contest in Liège, Belgium, where he won the 1st prize in the category of “sonority” and the 4th in the "luthier". In 1967, competes with two violins, in Poznan, Poland, getting a 2nd and a 4th prizes. In 1972, again in Poznan, he competed with four violins, reaching the top four spots and the highest scores of sonority and labor. As jury, he has participated in several international competitions.
The Espinho City Hall awarded him the Silver Medal for Artistic Merit and in1991 the Presidency of the Council of Ministers awarded him the Medal of Cultural Merit, with national and international artistic value. He is founder and vice president of the European Association of Builders of Violins and Bows.
Joaquim Capela, following his father and grandfather’s footsteps, built his first violin at the age of 13 and, soon after, participated in his first international competition. He has achieved several awards in competitions in Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany and Japan, maintaining a family tradition now in its third generation.
Location: Espinho
As an artist, he became one of the greatest builders of violins and raised the name of Espinho.
Domingos Capela died in 1976, but the violins continued to be asked, now, to his son, António Ferreira Capela, with this same dedication in the same original workshop in Anta, the parish where still lives and was his birthplace.
Passionate about his father's art, he gave evidence of real value, internationally recognized. He studied in Paris, Mirecourt and Cremona, Italy, with scholarships from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. His studies enabled him to perfect the violins construction technique.
In 1963, he participated in a contest in Liège, Belgium, where he won the 1st prize in the category of “sonority” and the 4th in the "luthier". In 1967, competes with two violins, in Poznan, Poland, getting a 2nd and a 4th prizes. In 1972, again in Poznan, he competed with four violins, reaching the top four spots and the highest scores of sonority and labor. As jury, he has participated in several international competitions.
The Espinho City Hall awarded him the Silver Medal for Artistic Merit and in1991 the Presidency of the Council of Ministers awarded him the Medal of Cultural Merit, with national and international artistic value. He is founder and vice president of the European Association of Builders of Violins and Bows.
Joaquim Capela, following his father and grandfather’s footsteps, built his first violin at the age of 13 and, soon after, participated in his first international competition. He has achieved several awards in competitions in Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany and Japan, maintaining a family tradition now in its third generation.
Location: Espinho
