Independent Cambridge: the music maker

Cambridge boasts a fantastic range of independent traders, but many residents - let alone visitors - are unaware of what's available right on our doorstep. The publishers of Independent Cambridge, a book which celebrates these businesses, highlight a selection of these 'indies' here. This week: Woolston Violins.

As with a lot of studios and workshops, you would never guess from the outside, the extraordinary creativity and craftsmanship to be found just off a busy, urban high street – the sign outside only giving a small hint of what amazing things are happening behind the door.

Jonathan Woolston – maker and restorer of violins, violas and cellos and the man behind the hand-painted sign for Woolston Violins – is very much at home in the creative and independent area of the City that is Mill Road.

After studying at the Newark School of Violin Making, his experience accumulated through his work in various ateliers – most notably the Manhattan workshop of the renowned Jacques Français, where he learnt expertise and restoration techniques studying under one of the world’s most respected violin makers and restorers – René Morel (1932-2011). Working in such a highly-regarded environment has brought Jonathan into contact with such luminaries of the music world as Issac Stern, Pinchas Zukerman, Itzak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Isserlis, Tasmin Little and Maxim Vengerov to name just a handful.

Today, Jonathan looks after the magnificent collection of bowed string instruments at the Royal Academy of Music in London and also has worked on various projects with Cambridge University. In the last 10 years Jonathan has made about 40 instruments, both for local amateur musicians and for professional players. There are always new instruments available in the workshop to try out.

And just to think, all this knowledge and expertise is just a stone’s throw from the local Co-op!


Woolston Violins
222 Mill Road
cambridge
CB1 3NF
Tel: +44 (0)1223 413860
E: jwwoolston@gmail.com
W: www.woolstonviolins.com

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Find out more by visiting the Independent Cambridge website:www.independent-cambridge.co.uk/ 

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