About Me
Emma Hardy
In my workshop I carry out a variety of maintenance services for both professional and amateur players, alongside my work on making new violins/violas.
At the end of 2020 I relocated my workshop to Sheffield to have better access to the outdoors and to join Sheffield’s thriving music scene. I spend much of my time out in the Peak District, walking, climbing and using the landscape as inspiration to inform my making.
I am currently working on a violin for the documentary, Folk Who Roam, with producer Emma Crome, in which we explore the connection between folk music, creativity and the importance of the right to roam in the countryside.
Since 2018 I have been a committee member of the British Violin Making Association . I am the BVMA’s Quarterly Magazine editor, alongside acting as one of the event co-ordinators for the annual Makers’ Day festival in Kings Place, London.
Previous experience
I studied violin making and repair under Keith Graves at Merton College, London. During my studies I worked as the manager of Les Aldrich Music, a historic shop in North London where I gained valuable insight to the every day needs of everyone from professional musicians, to parents with young children studying the violin. After finishing my studies, I continued my professional development via work placements with a variety of makers/repairers across the UK and worked part time as a shop assistant for Philip Brown Violins.
In 2020 I co-founded Strings Together – a learning orchestra for adult string players in East London.