by Annarita Garganese
In 1925, Georg Walter founded Gewa Music in Germany. The company, named after its creator’s initials, began producing string instruments and cases. Today, a century later, that tradition remains the brand’s beating heart, even as the catalog has expanded to include guitars, wind instruments, digital pianos, and electronic drums.
We met Simona Maria Roveda, 37, from Legnano (Milan), who holds the role of Chief Operating Officer at GeWa Med, the Italian subsidiary of Gewa Music: in 2025, in fact, the company will renew its traditional participation in the Cremona Musica International Exhibitions and Festival.
This year Gewa turns 100: congratulations on this important milestone! How do you combine the craftsmanship of yesterday with today’s technological challenges in your instruments?
An important aspect of our policy is to give roles of responsibility to the new generations: although today the company is led by Hans-Peter Messner, his son Marcel, just over thirty, brings a vision closer to the new generations, combining craftsmanship with technology.
Gewa Music’s motto, in fact, is We engineer music, a synthesis of quality, precision and listening to the market.
What makes a handcrafted instrument you produce unique?
More than thirty master luthiers work in the Mittenwald workshops. Each piece is born from a rigorous selection of materials, meticulous construction, and a quest for consistent tones. The varnishes are water-based, and the cases and bridges comply with sustainability standards.
In addition to manufacturing a wide range of Gewa-branded products, the company is also the official distributor of numerous brands in Italy, such as Milo Stamm jumpers, our highly successful exclusive.
What message does Gewa bring to Cremona Musica?
Participation in the Cremona fair is an unmissable event, representing a bond that is not only commercial, but also cultural and connects with the world. Gewa supports those who, every day, craft instruments with patience and dedication: that of luthiers is an ancient and often undervalued, yet essential, craft. As a testament to this, the company is collaborating on the ANIMA project, providing cases for the instruments of the string quartet that Gian Maria Stelzer built with the precious wood of the Avez del Prinzep, the tallest silver fir in Europe, which fell in 2017 and is now used in numerous concerts. Through this commitment, Gewa promotes a simple and profound message: music is for everyone.
