Prior becoming a luthier Amador Tamayo studied cello at UP (University of the Philippines).
His former cello mentors were Prof. Martiniano Esguerra, who studied with a Russian cellist,
and Prof. Herminia Ilano, a US trained cellist, currently teaching cello in Singapore.
1978-1982 Tamayo apprenticed in the shop of master violinmaker Hubert Schnorr in Hamburg,
Germany, undergoing supplementary training at the Geigenbauschule Mittenwald.
Upon his return to Manila he established himself as a maker and repaire. He resumed playing the cello
and worked with the old Manila Symphony Orchestra and the Manila Chamber Orchestra as principal cellist,
also giving basic cello lessons. As the demand on his violin making skills increased,
Tamayo had to lessen his cello playing and finally had to give it up totally in 2000.
Regular visits to Taipei, Taiwan and Singapore as repairer mainly working on instruments from China.
It is in Taipei where he saw a lot of new instruments from Cremona as well as other old European instruments.
Over the past 25 years he has been successfully making violins and cellos
in the tradition of the Mittenwald School under influence of the
Stradivarius designs from Cremona.
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Astor Piazzolla