Steve Sirr, M.D.

Born and raised in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Steve Sirr took up the accordion while in the sixth grade. Throughout his high school years he played in polka bands across rural Minnesota. From this unlikely musical background he went on to become a radiologist, a violinist and a scientist recognized internationally for his exploration of historic violins using computerized tomography scanning.

Steve attended the University of Minnesota, earning a B.S. in physics with distinction in 1971 and a master’s degree in physics in 1973. At about the same time he took up the violin and studied seriously for the next several years. He set aside his musical ambitions when he began medical school and no longer had the time to play.

Steve earned his M.D. at the University in 1979, followed by residency in diagnostic radiology and a fellowship in nuclear medicine. In the ensuing years he once again began violin lessons, leading to a fateful day in the late 1980s when his interests in music, science and radiology converged, inspiring him to place his violin in a CT scanner during a free moment at work.

The resulting scans revealed the anatomy of the violin, challenging Steve’s assumption that the instrument was merely a wooden shell surrounding air. Since then he has scanned dozens of instruments and partnered with luthiers John Waddle and Steve Rossow to discover how some of the greatest violins ever built can be re-created using CT scans and CNC technology.

Steve continues his medical practice as a diagnostic radiologist in Minnesota and is now a Professional Affiliate of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers. In addition to his interest in violins, he has recently begun scanning the plexiglass sculpture work of his friend and internationally known artist, Richard T. Brewer. Learn more about this project on Steve's YouTube page.

Curriculum Vitae