Dennis Lau’s Phoenix violin continues to rise

A year on from the initiation of its build we are proud to unveil a brand new Alistair Hay Custom Design, Dennis Lau’s Phoenix Violin.

Alistair was commissioned to build this six-string carbon fibre electric violin for renowned Asian artist Dennis Lau who was in search of his ‘soul mate’.

Kuala Lumpur-based artist Dennis Lau is a rising star in Malaysia and has collaborated big names in the music industry across Asia.

In this quest to find the ultimate violin the electric violinist travelled from across the world to Donegal in the summer of 2016.

After first seeing one of Asia’s biggest pop stars, Wang Leehom, unveil Bahamut, a Chinese dragon-shaped electric guitar built by Alistair, Dennis decided to contact Alistair to develop a masterpiece of his own.

Dennis Lau’s ‘soul mate’

Dennis said for any musician, having an instrument custom-made for them presents many challenges, such as getting the right balance of character, playability and tone.

“Just like a soul mate, a musician’s instrument plays a very important role in the development of the player’s voice and personality,” he said.

In searching for his ‘soul mate’, Dennis has gone through multiple instruments, all well-built for performance, yet have not connected with him on a deep level such as the Phoenix Violin.

Dennis first unveiled The Phoenix in a large-scale concert titled ‘Dennis Lau & Friends – The Phoenix Rising Concert’ on October 22 of last year. The accompanying video includes highlights from this concert which Alistair and his wife Kim attended as special guests.

Alistair said: “This project has been one of the most rewarding commissions of my career. From meeting new people and traveling to new places to being given the opportunity to stretch my creative abilities to a new level.  Thank you Dennis for giving me this opportunity. “

If you would like to find out more about The Phoenix, click here to go the Alistair Hay Custom Design Portfolio where you will find videos, photos, specs and more.