Workshops in Violin Building; Violin Maintenance and Repair; Bow-making; Bow Repair; and Bow Rehairing with world renowned expert faculty members.

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Institute Faculty

    Horst Kloss
    Paul Wiessmeyer
    Francis Morris
    Lynn Hannings
    George Rubino

Horst L. Kloss, Mittenwald-trained Master Violin Maker, has worked with fine stringed instruments and bows for over four decades. The Kloss Shop specializes in the repair, restoration, appraisal, and sale of historic instruments and bows. Mr. Kloss offers acoustic adjustment tailored to the individual musician’s requirements and the application of museum conservation standards. He provides musicians with custom instrument set-up designed to prevent overuse syndrome while maintaining maximal adjustment of tonal color, clarity, and projection. He has cared for collections of note, including the Boston Museum of Fine Art’s historic stringed instruments; and he is one of fewer than 100 makers whose training and skills qualified him for full membership status in the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers. More recently, Mr. Kloss was among a handful of Federation members selected for an intensive training session devoted to museum varnish restoration and conservation techniques. At the Bavarian State School of Violin Making in Southern Germany, he earned his Journeyman’s diploma in 1964 and his Master’s degree in 1972 under the tutelage of Joseph Kantuscher. He moved to the United States in 1964 and worked for Carl Becker at Lewis & Sons.

Paul Wiessmeyer (New Faculty Member!)

Paul Wiessmeyer graduated from the world-renowned violinmaking school in Mittenwald, Germany, in 1981. Subsequently he worked at the shops of Hans Weisshaar and Robert Cauer in Los Angeles before opening his own shop in LA in 1986. Since 1991 he has owned and operated Paul Wiessmeyer Violins in Boston, Massachusetts, a full-service shop specializing in repair, service, sound adjusments, and sales of violins, violas, and celli. He was awarded Gold Medals for violinmaking at the H. Wienawski Violin Making Competition and at the International Violin Competition. His clients include symphony players, professional musicians, conservatory students, and schools. He is a member of the American Federation of Violin & Bowmakers and the Violin Society of America.

Francis Morris is a 1974 graduate of the world-renowned violinmaking school in Mittenwald, Germany. Subsequently he worked with Fritz Baumgartner in Basel, Switzerland, and at the shops of Hans Weisshaar and Robert Cauer in Los Angeles. Since opening his own shop in the Berkshires in 1984, he has provided his customers with high quality instrument service in a rural setting. He has also continued his career as an instrument maker, producing numerous violins, violas and cellos, recently winning an award at the 2002 competition of the prestigious Violin Society of America. He is a member of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers and the Violin Society of America. He currently lives and has a shop near Tanglewood, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires.

Lynn Armour Hannings, has been teaching at the Violin Craftsmanship Institute since 1986. She is a former teaching assistant of William Salchow. She received her degree of Journeyman from the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers in 1984 and was elected to membership in 1985. In 1989 Ms. Hannings was granted both a Fulbright Scholarship and the Annette Kadé Fellowship for the Advanced Study of the French School of Bowmaking in Paris, France, with Bernard Millant, the world renowned authority of French Bow Making. She is also a member of the Entente Internationale des Maitres Luthiers et Archetiers d’Art. As a conservatory trained musician and performer who has studied musicians’ injuries, Ms. Hannings has worked individually with musicians, for over 30 years, to meet their unique playing requirements. Ms. Hannings sells bows to professionals in the U.S. and internationally. In addition to bowmaking, she has extensive experience in the area of bow repair and restoration. Ms. Hannings is presently the president of IPCI-USA, an international organization working for the conservation and preservation of Pernamuco, the primary wood used in bowmaking.

George Rubino started making bows in 1974 and has been in the forefront of American bowmaking for many years. His interest in the French tradition and quest for knowledge has helped him to make bows that are aesthetically fine and enable the musician to produce everything the music asks. Mr. Rubino studied bowmaking with William Salchow and had been his teaching assistant at the UNH Violin Craftsmanship Institute for many years, and appointed as a bowmaking instructor for the Institute in 1988. He has given lectures and conducted workshops on bowmaking and bow playability in North America, Europe, and Australia. Additional information about him and examples of his work can be found at his website.

The Violin Craftsmanship Institute is sponsored by

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Comments or suggestions: lac@cisunix.unh.edu