About Emma Hardy
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. I also sit on the board of directors for the Portland Works building in which my workshop resides.
I have previously played with the Endcliffe Amateur Orchestra, and currently play with the Soundpost’s “Forge & Fledge” folk group.
Professional Training
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 worked part time as a shop assistant for Philip Brown Violins and continued my professional development via work placements and collaborative workshops with a variety of internationally renown makers and repairers.
In 2020 I co-founded Strings Together – a learning orchestra for adult string players in East London.