Jonathan Hill makes stringed musical instruments in his workshop in Leith, Edinburgh. Specialising in creating thoroughly researched replicas of historical instruments, he is particularly renowned for his expertise in the 'Viola d'amore,' a rare baroque instrument distinguished by sympathetic resonant strings.
Drawing upon his extensive knowledge of historical musical instrument construction, Jonathan builds a new instrument known as the ‘Viola Diablo’.
This twelve-stringed fiddle features eight wire sympathetic resonant strings and is designed to cater to the preferences of today's modern musicians, leveraging centuries of expertise in historical instrument construction to deliver a unique and unparalleled sound.
His works of art capture the originality, inventiveness, and ethos of craft practices during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. His skills and contributions to his field were acknowledged when he was honored with the 'Heritage Craft Woodworker of the Year' award in February 2023.
As an experienced teacher he has taught on the Foundation degree in Musical Instrument Making at West Dean College and in 2023 received funding from 'QEST' to allow him to train an apprentice in his workshop.
He is a member of the BVMA, the Viola d’amore Society, and has been published in The Strad magazine and the BVMA Quarterly.
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