Michel Belair is a Canadian luthier who is based in Montreal. He developed his passion for guitar in his early teens, which eventually led him to study guitar at McGill University and obtain his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in guitar performance under the tutelage of Alvaro Pierri. Then, he studied with Roberto Aussel in Paris. Michel has excellent skills as a guitar player and his playing has been recognized with international prizes and awards at various classical guitar competitions. He fully understands the perspective of instrumentalists which has also had a big influence on his work as a guitar maker. As a performer, he played two original guitars made by Daniel Friederich (no. 557 and 763). Both of his teachers (Alvaro Pierri and Robert Aussell) also played Friederich guitars for the majority of their careers, so this long-term exposure and appreciation of Friederich's instruments inspired Michel to develop the "Hommage a Daniel Friederich" guitar model. Additionally, Michel also builds his own traditional and double-top models. GSI is pleased to be the exclusive dealer for Michel's "Hommage a Daniel Friederich" model in the US.
Michel Belair
It [building a Friederich copy] was also, for me, a form of recognition after all these years spent playing on his marvelous instruments, listening to them and appreciating them.
| Born | 1965 |
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| Nationality | Canadian |
