A psychotherapist in private practice for nearly 45 years, Robin Ohringer lives and works in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Outside of the professional environment, Robin Ohringer is an avid amateur cello player.
In addition to being an essential component of orchestras and chamber ensembles everywhere, the cello is a solo instrument of choice for a great number of composers. Before Antonio Stradivari popularized the instrument in the late 17th century, however, the cello was largely unknown in the world of music.
In the first half of the 16th century, instrument makers began to experiment with violin-like stringed instruments in attempts to get them to generate strong tones in lower registers. This process led to the production of larger and larger instruments that ultimately became too large to hold in the arms. These instruments included the viola da gamba, which had sloped shoulders similar to a string bass, and the violincello, which would ultimately evolve into the modern cello. Most historians credit the invention of the modern cello to early 16th century instrument maker Andrea Amati, who solidified the cello form into the one that is widely used and enjoyed today.
Dr. Robin Ohringer 