Fine Viola by António Capela, Anta-Espinho 2009, 42 cm.

António Capela was born in Espinho, Portugal in 1932. He started learning to make violins from his father, Domingos Capela. In 1961 he received a grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation to study with Etienne Vatelot in Paris and the Morizot brothers in Mirecourt. In 1964 he enrolled at the International School of Violin Making in Cremona, where he studied with Pietro Sgarabotto and Fernando Sacconi.

Capela won awards at many expositions, including Liège in 1963, Cremona in 1965 and 1969, and Poznań in 1967 and 1972. In 1991, he recieved the Medal of Cultural Merit from the Presidência do Concelho de Ministros in Portugal. Capela helped to found the European Violin and Bow Builders Association, where he currently serves as vice president. He is also a member of the International Violin and Bow Builders Association.

Certification: Certification by the maker