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Hans Johannsson is a skilled craftsman who creates violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and various other stringed instruments. His love for the violin began in his grandfather Gudjon Halldorsson's cabinet-making workshop in Reykjavík, Iceland. After completing his studies with distinction at the Newark School of Violin Making in Great Britain under Maurice Bouette and Glen Collins in 1980, and later receiving a master's diploma from the Icelandic Arts and Crafts Council in 1982, Hans has been crafting instruments for professional musicians worldwide.
Hans develops his instruments based on his own unique model, continually evolving the design of outlines and proportions. He rarely creates copies, believing that the renowned masters of the past all established their own distinct styles within a classical theme. To Hans, imitation is only useful for educational purposes, as he prefers to contribute his own creative touch to his instruments.
Hans Johannsson is a master luthier with an established reputation worldwide. He recently celebrated his 40-plus-year career with a two-week festival in Reykjavik, featuring string ensembles and orchestras showcasing his body of work, which includes over 300 instruments spread throughout the world. This exceptional cello from 2022 exemplifies his finest output. The tone is powerful and noble, full of overtones, with an immediate and satisfying response. It is ideally suited for a discerning player seeking a soloist-level instrument from one of the finest makers of his generation.
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This is our second violin by the master luthier Hans Johannsson from Reykjavik, Iceland. Influenced in part by Stradivarius, Hans designed the outlines and proportions of this beautifully crafted violin, while adding many of his own ideas to create a very unique instrument. This violin was made as part of a quartet, all made using the same piece of wood. Acoustically, it is powerful yet refined. It creates a luminous voice on the E string and in contrast a sultry, calming tone in the lower register. It was made having chamber musicians in mind but could easily adapt to an orchestral or solo setting if needed as it has the power and blending capabilities.
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Our very latest Johannsson violin is here! The more we get to know Hans and the more I play his instruments, the more I fall in love with his unique style of making. He makes his own models and although they share many similarities with the Cremonese masters, they really capture the essence of Hans's style of making. Tonally, this violin remind quite a bit of a specific late golden period Stradivari I played a couple of years ago. It's quite electric and feels very alive under the hand. The sound comes out effortlessly and although it has edge to it, there is a richness and warmth throughout. It has huge projection and is very fun to play!
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