A Violin by Anqi Ni

Anqi Ni is a violin maker based in Cremona, Italy. In 2019 she established her workshop “Laboratorio Violintecture” near Piazza Roma, at the historical center of Cremona, where she concentrates on the construction of fine string instruments in modern style.

She graduated from Academia Cremonensis with the guidance of Maestro Giovanni Colonna, by whom she was invited back in 2021 to join the faculty as a teacher for artistic and experimental workshops. Before graduation, she already began further studies with Maestro Gregg Alf, then she became a collaborative luthier in Alf Studios in Venice during the years of 2019 – 2022. This experience strongly formed her concept for violin sound and playability, searching into its most sensitive and colorful nuances.

She also attended various master classes: by Maestro Luca Maria Gallo on varnish techniques in Cremona; by Maestro Carlos Arcieri on set-up at Accademia Perosi in Biella, Piemont; and by Maestro Robin Aitchison on cello sound adjustment in Bilbao, Spain. She has been a member of VSA (Violin society of America) since 2020 and an active attendee of Oberlin Acoustics First Friday Series. Since 2024 she has been a member of A.L.I. (Associazione Liutaria Italiana). Continuation in the exchange and sharing with some of the best contemporary makers nourishes her pursuit in the understanding of the aesthetics of Italian lutherie tradition in innovative lens.

Her philosophy in violin making is deeply influenced by her previous training as architect and essentially motivated by the passion for music. She believes that in the art of violin making, as in Architecture, the ultimate goal is to seek harmony among one’s sense of the world and existence – and this is where Truth and Beauty stand.