Marco Maria Gastaldi was born in Cuneo on January 8, 1969. He enrolled at the Civic School of Violin Making in Milan and graduated in 1994 under the guidance of masters Luca Primon for violin making and Gabriele Negri for restoration.
Starting in 1991, he began his profession as a violin maker in his own workshop in Cremona, refining construction techniques, varnishing methods, selecting fine woods, and enhancing research in acoustic physics and aesthetic style through the study of models created by classical violin makers.
From 1994 to '96, he attended the Bow Making Course in Cremona taught by maestros Giovanni Lucchi, Gennaro Santi, and Daniel Navea Vera.
In 2000, he participated with a Viola in the IX Triennial of String Instruments "Antonio Stradivari" in Cremona, surpassing the selection of the best instruments admitted to the exhibition. In November of the same year, he received the Certificate of Merit for Violin Workmanship at the 14th International Competition and Exhibition organized by the Violin Society of America in Cincinnati.
Since 2006, he has been a member of the Consortium "A. Stradivari" in Cremona, known through the "Cremona Liuteria" trademark.
In 2010, he represented Italian violin making at the Expo in Beijing.
His study of the cello as a musician over the years has further refined the construction of high-quality instruments and specialized his skills in setting up string instruments, garnering wide recognition and appreciation from Italian and international musicians.
Since 2023, he has relocated his workshop to Bologna, where he continues to live and work.
