HANS JOHANNSSON

Hans Johannsson makes violins violas, cellos, double basses and various other stringed instruments. His passion for the violin started at an early age in the workshop of his grandfather Gudjon Halldorsson, a cabinet maker in Reykjavík, Iceland. After having finished his studies at the Newark School of Violin Making in Great Britain with a diploma of distinction,under Maurice Bouette and Glen Collins in 1980 and subsequently recieving a masters diploma from the Icelandic Arts and crafts council in 1982, he has been making instruments for professional musicians in many countries. Hans has been making his instruments after his own model, designing all outlines and proportions on an ever evolving basic line. He has not made copies except in rare circumstances, as he believes that the great masters of earlier times all created their own distinctive style based on a classical theme, and that emulation is only practical when serving an educational purpose.