Fourteen musicians who played either the violin, viola, cello or double bass turned out for the Australian Strings Association Victoria (AUSTAVic) workshops at Brauer College.

Organiser Philip Trigg said four new pieces from contemporary composers were workshopped before being performed during a concert at the end of the day.

Mr Trigg said it was the first time the event had been held in Warrnambool and was part of a push by the association to lift the number of people taking up a stringed instrument. He said in the Warrnambool/Camperdown area there would be as few as 40 people who played a stringed instrument.

Melbourne’s John Ferwerda, who has been making and repairing Violins since 1968, also attended the workshop. He came to Australia from Holland in 1974 after spending more than three years studying violin-making in Germany.