CONCERTO

★★★★★ - Mayu Kishima - International Soloist, performing on Violin by Antonio Stradivari, 1699

"I used the rosin both in a recital and concerto settings.
My impression of it was that this rosin makes my violin sound richer: almost as if the sound can carve through the air. It’s perfectly suited for a soloist, giving your sound almost a Guarneri-like, thick, strong, and fast-spinning quality. It helps not only to make you sound stronger, but it gives your sound more dimension, and with very little effort on your end. I used the word ‘rich’ before, but that’s the best descriptor for it: it truly does make you sound full-bodied.
This rosin gives me the grip I’d been looking for. Usually, I’m afraid that a rosin like this would ruin my sound if I apply too much of it, but this rosin took away all of those fears. It makes me sound more powerful, allows me to project farther, and the sound remains grounded and echoes more powerfully through the space.
It does require practice and skill to be able to play to the caliber of this rosin, but it gives the same kind of excitement I’d feel when I have a beautiful Stradivarius or Guarneri in my hands.
The rosin also feels quite stable when I bring it with me on-stage. It’s difficult to explain, but since rosin is very delicate, I think having something that feels stable and steadfast takes a lot of stress off of the soloist.
I’ll definitely be using this in the future! Thank you so much."

★★★★★ - Minami Yoshida - International Soloist, performing on Violin by Antonio Stradivari, 1716

"After using the product for the first time, I immediately tried tuning my violin, and was so shocked at how different the sound quality was! I consider myself quite discerning when it comes to my sound, and my motivation can go up or down depending on how my violin sounds after tuning; this rosin definitely made my mood skyrocket, and practicing felt incredibly fulfilling thanks to the great quality of my sound!
A soloist is meant to play above his or her accompanying orchestra, so how loud I can play is crucial, the the true mark of a soloist is how well they’re able to project. No matter how loud you play, if each note sounds ungrounded and thin, the audience won’t be able to truly hear what you’re playing. On the other hand, even delicate notes will carry all the way to the back row if each note sounds grounded and firm. Using this rosin gives each individual sound the grounding and core that I’m always looking for, regardless of what I’m playing and how I’m playing it.
Truth be told, I’ve never liked using rosins. Up until a few years ago, I’d always avoid using them to the point where my teacher would constantly have to remind me to use them! I’d never been a fan of how rough and coarse I would sound directly after applying rosin, most likely due to how rough the particles between the bow hair and the strings must’ve been. That’s where this rosin comes in: it gives me the perfect blend that I’m looking for, without the hassle. It gives me the exact sound I want, with all the benefits of both the thicker and lighter rosins in one. All I have to do is apply it to my bow four to five times, and I’m able to achieve the sound that I’m looking for.
Because the particles of the rosin are so fine, the bow hairs seemed to stay firmly on top of the strings instead of lifting the way they would have if I were using a coarser, less high-quality rosin that creates gaps between the bow and the strings.
In my first ten days of using Concerto rosin, my bow hasn’t skipped once! I tend to maneuver my bow quite fast to create speed in my sounds, but there hasn’t been a single instance of skipping yet.
I think it would be a good fit for any situation, be it using it as a soloist  with an orchestra, or playing at a recital with piano accompaniment. It’s very versatile."

Leatherwood Bespoke Rosin are grateful to the support and input from our Japanese Partner, Hiroaki Yura, who collaborated with us to produce this rosin.