Yoann Charbonnier – musical instrument maker

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur – 1983

Yoann Charbonnier has been passioned by guitars since he was a young boy. This precocious vocation has been the beginning of his fine crafts career specialized in musical instrument making.

At the end of high school, he rapidly started his studies and was graduated from Brevet des Metiers d’Art specialized in carpentry. This speciality is an essential knowledge to practice musical instrument making. Then, he went to ITEMM (Institut technologique des métiers de la musique) to learn his know-how. This institute based in France is prestigious.

In order to complete his education, he started being an apprentice at Joël Laplane’s workshop in 2004. While Joël Laplane received the position of Master of Art from the French government in 2008, he chose Yoann Charbonnier as his student and heir of his workshop. The same year, their workshop was certified Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (2008), a French certification label.

Since 2013, Yoann Charbonnier has been succeeding his Master in the workshop called today Charbonnier Luthier. He has been creating and restoring instruments since then.

Research and innovation

Yoann Charbonnier restores instruments with deontology and traditional methods. He selects and conserves carefully old woods to guarantee the quality of all the instruments he restores or creates. The modernity of his know-how is in his way to assure the perfect sound and the aesthetic aspect of each instrument. He also takes in consideration the comfort of the future musicians while he is working.

Will to transmit

Yoann Charbonnier’s workshop represents an entire heritage. The story begins with the Carbonell family. They arrived in France from Spain and opened their eponymous workshop. They taught their know-how to several apprentices and Joël Laplane, one of them, inherited the Carbonell’s workshop. Yoann Charbonnier is the heir of this history!

In 2020, a fire destroyed Yoann Charbonnier’s workshop. Fondation Rémy Cointreau has helped him to acquire devices he lost in this tragedy.