About the Author

Fran�ois-Joseph F�tis was a Belgian musicologist, composer, critic, and teacher. One of the 19th century's most influential critics, he compiled the Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie g�n�rale de la musique, an enduring resource.
Stewart Pollens is a maker of violins and keyboard instruments who served as the Conservator of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1976 to 2006. He is the founder of Violin Advisor, LLC, a consulting firm that advises purchasers of fine violins.