Hans Jóhannsson

His passion for the violin started at an early age in the workshop of his grandfather Gudjon Halldorsson, a cabinet maker in Reykjavík, Iceland, where he began making musical instruments.

He finished his studies at the Newark School of Violin Making[2][3] in Great Britain with a diploma of distinction, under Maurice Bouette and Glen Collins in 1980.

After 1982, Hans lived and worked with his family at the Chateau de Bourglinster in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, until 1993.

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.

In 1998 he played the main role in a 60-minute television documentary, The Violin Maker, focusing on his works, filmed at the Chateau de Bourglinster in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, featuring Sandrine Cantoreggi and Roby Lakatos.