Korinthia Klein sees a lot of banged-up violins. At her repair shop Korinthian Violins, she rents out and fixes fiddles for young beginners, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra veterans and everyone in between.
Since opening on a quiet residential corner of Bay View in 2008, the shop has always stayed busy, she says. “As long as people drop things, I have a job.” Business often comes in urgent bursts, like when a bridge snaps before a big performance. “No one has an emergency after a concert,” Klein says.
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As a luthier – someone who repairs or builds string instruments – Klein can quickly diagnose what’s wrong and make the most sensical repair.
“Violins are cool because they’re actually designed to be repaired,” she says. For example, the ornate F-shaped holes on the front allow luthiers to adjust parts inside the instrument’s body.
Klein tries to educate players on how their violins work and how to take care of them, and her friendly approach counters the stereotype of luthiers as snobbish and reclusive. Whereas many luthiers work in the back of shop, her workstation doubles as her front desk. And she spends time walking players through each crack and reglued seam.
When she’s not mending, she’s building. Klein recently crafted violins for each of her three kids, and she’s currently making one for her mother to paint.
As a violin player herself, Klein jokes about the sad nature of her work. “It’s a bit like someone who went into veterinary medicine because they love animals,” she says. “I only see the sick things sometimes. But, when I can make them well again, it’s good.”
