Frank Eickmeyer was born in 1963 in Neuss (Rhineland|Germany). After attending a Steiner school, where special emphasis was put on arts and crafts, he dedicated himself to playing the cello, as well as to carpentry and sculpture in wood. He began his violin - making studies in 1982 in Gubbio with Maestro Spataffi, continued his studies in Mittenwald (Germany) before finally entering the Parma School of Violin - making, where in 1990 he obtained his diploma under the guidance of Maestro Scrollavezza. In 1995 Ken Yoshi, principal cellist of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, commissioned him to make a cello. Shortly after­wards an Austrian string quartet commissioned a quartet. In 1993 he translated his name, and began to sign his instruments FRANCESCO DALLA QUERCIA (Frank from the Oak). Frequent visits to the workshop of Giancarlo Guicciardi rendered him enthusiastic about the works of Ansaldo Poggi, ex - teacher of Guicciardi.