The Only Modern Viola Organista is Constructed

In 2009, Pole Slawomir Zubryzycki begins work on the first known viola organista based directly on da Vinci’s designs. Zubryzycki synthesized this design with the descriptions of Michael Praetorius, a sixteenth century German organist. Praetorius released a series of volumes under the title Syntagma Musicum, where he illustrated and described various musical instruments from the time, including the Geigenwerk made by Hans Heyden. Zubryzycki was also inspired by the viola de gamba contained in the drawings, a seven-stringed chordophone similar in appearance to the cello. The goal was to create an instrument that was mechanically similar to da Vinci’s organista, with the timbre of the viola de gamba.

In 2012, the instrument was completed. Zubryzycki would perform on the organista for the first time on October 18^th, 2013, at the International Royal Cracow Piano Festival, in his hometown. The next three years were spent touring the instrument in seventeen countries. During this time, he would record a solo album entitled “Viola Organista – The da Vinci Sound,” released in 2015.

Zubryzycki, S. (2015). Reconstruction. Retrieved from http://www.violaorganista.com/en/about/reconstruction/

Jobson, C. (2013, November 18). Polish Concert Pianist Builds a 'Viola Organista' Based on a 500-Year-Old Leonardo Da Vinci Sketch. Retrieved from https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/11/viola-organista/