Anqi Ni was born in China. She moved to Italy in 2011 and established her workshop called “Laboratorio Violintecture” in the heart of Cremona in 2019. She focuses on the construction of modern bowed instruments, including violins, violas, and cellos. She graduated from the Academia Cremonensis under the guidance of Maestro Giovanni Colonna, who later invited her to join the faculty in 2021 as an instructor in artistic workshops and drawing. In 2018, she began studying with Maestro Gregg Alf, and from 2019 to 2023, she worked as a collaborative luthier at Alf Studios in Venice. Anqi has participated in several specialised masterclasses headed by: Maestro Carlos Arcieri on instrument setup at Accademia Perosi in Biella, Piedmont; Maestro Luca Maria Gallo on varnishing techniques in Cremona; Maestro Robin Aitchison on cello acoustics in Bilbao, Spain. Since 2020, she has been a member of the Violin Society of America (VSA) and actively takes part in its conferences and the Oberlin Summer Workshops. Before pursuing violin making, Anqi studied architecture in several countries, earning degrees from the South China University of Technology and the Politecnico di Torino. However, it was her passion for music and artisanal craftsmanship that ultimately led her to the world of lutherie. Architecture remains a constant source of inspiration, offering her multiple perspectives in the creation of instruments and a philosophical framework for her craft: an idea embodied in the name of her workshop, Violintecture. She believes that, much like in architecture, the ultimate goal in violin making is to seek harmony through skilled craftsmanship. It is within this process, she says, that truth and beauty are revealed.
Listen to an audio sample
