Violin makers in the Italian city of Cremona struggling to survive

Cremona's current oldest luthier, Conia, 74, and his son Stefano Jr, 47, are pictured with a violin at their workshop in Cremona. Photos: AFP

Working in the shadow of the great masters, the violin makers of Italy's Cremona are valiantly fighting a shrinking market and foreign competition as they seek perfection, one violin at a time.

The birthplace of Stradivarius, Cremona is a veritable laboratory for luthiers from all over the world, where violin workshops seem to be everywhere you look.