Brian Lee & Stacy Westman

Brian Lee and Stacy Westman are violin makers based in Chicago. Brian is originally from Queens, New York, and Stacy is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They are both alumni of the Chicago School of Violin Making, where their instructors included Antoine Nédélec, Kristin Siegfried Ballenger, Jordan Ripstein, Dan Gillespie, and Jeff Phillips.    After graduating from CSVM in 2022, Brian moved to Raleigh, North Carolina to join the workshop staff at Triangle Strings, under the direction of Jerry Pasewicz. While a part of the shop, he attended the A.L.I. (formerly Oberlin) Restoration Workshop alongside his coworkers. Prior to becoming a violin maker, Brian was a trained violinist, receiving his bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Mikhail Kopelman. Brian completed his master’s at Montclair State University, studying with Weigang Li and Lilit Gampel. His other most influential mentors include Kurt Nikkanen, Juliana Athayde, Jean Dane, and Ken Lam.

At the age of 15, Stacy joined the workshop of Schultz Strings and continued working there throughout high school. After graduating, Stacy continued working in the shop for another year before deciding to expand her skills by attending the Chicago School of Violin Making, graduating in 2025. While attending CSVM, she worked part time for Seman Violins. During school breaks, she travelled to North Carolina to work alongside Brian at Triangle Strings.

Now based in Chicago, Brian and Stacy share a workshop, making violins both individually and in collaboration with each other. Brian is working as an independent violin maker, while Stacy is currently working for McLaughlin Violins. Brian and Stacy are regular participants in the Oberlin Violin Makers Workshop, where they continue to refine their skills alongside friends and colleagues from around the world.