David Joseph Carón

David Joseph Carón, Age 83, passed away peacefully at home on December 20, 2024. His suffering and struggles with a rare lymphoma, which he endured with courage, have concluded. David was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he spent most of his early life; his family briefly lived on a farm in Arkansas. He returned to Chicago, and nearby Champaign, IL, where he fell in love with violin making. His career ultimately brought him to beautiful Taos, NM, where he enjoyed the peace, the mountains, and nature and where he now rests. His profound soul remains and will be treasured by us and future generations through the legacy of beautifully conceived and crafted stringed instruments. He was a human being who loved to fix and create things and make them better, facilitating his search for a better instrument. Through performers, his instruments continue to sing his wonderful musical imagination. His instruments augment the voices of the artists who play them. Performances are forever affected by the contributions of David Caron and his creations. They have presence and envelop all who hear them with an incredible depth and breadth of sound. He could think outside the box because there was no box for David Carón. History will celebrate and remember David Carón as one of the most innovative and accomplished violin makers. He was also a true Renaissance man who in his youth was a fine cellist and later in life became a pilot and enjoyed soaring with raptors and ravens; additionally, he enjoyed skiing, wood turning and art, especially painting watercolors.

David was the third of eight children born to Amos and Helen Lucile Carón. He is survived by his wife Rebecca, his sons Christopher and Michael (his daughter Sandra, who passed away in 2000), his older sister Cece, his older brother Paul, and his younger sister Mary, along with many nieces and nephews. Also beloved mentee Klarissa Petti, who will carry forth his creative legacy.

A memorial concert is being planned for May, 2025 to celebrate his life. His instruments and the music that they render speak most eloquently for him.