The Parma School of Violin-Making was born, at least in its current structure, in 1975 thanks to the courageous initiative of Giorgio Paini, at that time President of the Conservatory of Music, who drew up the project and called on Renato Scrollavezza to direct the courses. The Maestro frequently talks about his initial reluctance towards this new prospect. Although recipient of a series of prestigious awards and already in his fifties, he felt somewhat timorous in view ot the responsibility involved. However in a short period of time Scrollavezza realized that he had taken the right decision, as he recalls in the book dedicated to the School: "I realized that transmitting my experience and knowledge to others was a vocation which gave me the outmost satisfaction."

This enthusiasm and the Maestro's natural charism resulted in the great majority of the School's pupils gaining success in the profession, frequently obtaining important results in Italy and abroad. So, in spite of its small dimensions, the Parma School attracted students from all over Europe, the United States, the Far East and Israel. The final exam which pupils had to face at the end of the five year course testifies as to the degree of preparation achieved: each student had to finish a neck, scroll and a complete top of a violin within 44 hours.

In the meantime Scrollavezza also made a decisive contribution to establishing the Civica Scuola di Liuteria di Milano, where he taught from 1979 'till 1983. Pressed with too many commitments, Scrollavezza subsequently decided to relinquish the engagement in Milan to one of his first pupils, Maestro Luca Primon. Today the Milan School has become an internationally famous institution, obviously with more than a distant relationship with Parma.

In 1992, with a decision which still appears incomprehensible, the Ministry of Public Education decided to close down the Violin-Making courses; this without taking into consideration the fact, for example, that the School had supplied something like a hundred instruments -violins, violas and cellos- at no charge to the Parma Conservatory. In this occasion it was again Giorgio Paini who saved the School from a sad end, obtaining the support of C.I.R.P.e.M (The International Centre for Research in Musical Periodicals). As of 1996 the School has passed under the aegis of Ecipar, an organisation connected with the National Confederation of Artisans. During recent years unfortunately the School has had to face a series of logistic and economic difficulties, with a consequent limitation in the duration of the courses. In spite of this Renato Scrollavezza, with the assistance of his daughter Elisa, continues to transmit his experience and professionality unsparingly. Since 2006 the School finally find stable premises, due to the intervention of Noceto township.