Jacob Saunders

History

Jacob Saunders (1959-present) was born in Nottingham, England, the son of musician Janet Saunders and violin maker Wilfred G. Saunders. At the age of 16, he crafted his first violin under his father's supervision. He pursued formal musical education, studying cello at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1977 until 1979. Subsequently, from 1980 to 1981, he apprenticed at the Cantonal Violin Making School in Brienz, Switzerland. In 1981, he relocated to Munich, Bavaria, where he was employed as a journeyman violin maker, first by Hans Zunterer and then by Wolfgang Zunterer. His career path led him to Bremen, Germany, in 1983, where he worked as a violin restorer in the Machold workshop under the direction of Roger Hargrave. In early 1986, he moved to Austria, initially working for several makers, including Gerhard Neubauer and Hans Rombach. A year later, in 1987, he established his own workshop in Krems an der Donau. He successfully completed his violin making master's exam in Innsbruck in 1988. His expertise was officially recognized in 1995 when he was appointed expert to the Austrian Law Courts for Stringed Instruments and their Bows. At the beginning of 2008, he moved his workshop to Sankt Poelten, and three years later, in March 2012, he relocated it again to Klosterneuburg.

Craft

• Early Work: At 16, Jacob Saunders made his first violin under his father's supervision.
• Output: He is known to have made approximately 40 instruments throughout his career.
• Restoration: He gained experience as a violin restorer while working in the Machold workshop in Bremen, Germany.
• Master's Qualification: In 1988, he successfully passed his violin making master's exam in Innsbruck.
• Expertise: His skills were formally acknowledged in 1995 with his appointment as an expert to the Austrian Law Courts for Stringed Instruments and their Bows.

Influence

• Family Mentorship: His father, Wilfred G. Saunders, a violin maker, supervised Jacob's creation of his first violin.
• Formal Training: He received professional training as an apprentice at the Cantonal Violin Making School in Brienz, Switzerland, from 1980 to 1981.
• Professional Employment: In Munich, Bavaria, he worked as a journeyman violin maker for both Hans Zunterer and Wolfgang Zunterer.
• Restoration Training: He worked under the direction of Roger Hargrave as a violin restorer in the Machold workshop in Bremen, Germany.
• Austrian Collaborations: Upon moving to Austria, he worked for several notable makers, including Gerhard Neubauer and Hans Rombach, before opening his own workshop.

Legacy

• Official Recognition: In 1995, Jacob Saunders was appointed expert to the Austrian Law Courts for Stringed Instruments and their Bows, a testament to his recognized authority in the field.

Further Information

• Workshop Locations: Jacob Saunders established his first independent workshop in 1987 in Krems an der Donau, Austria. He subsequently moved his workshop to Sankt Poelten at the beginning of 2008, and later to Klosterneuburg in March 2012.

Summary

Jacob Saunders (b. 1959) is an English-born violin maker and expert, son of violin maker Wilfred G. Saunders. He made his first violin at 16 under his father's guidance and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the Cantonal Violin Making School in Switzerland. His career includes working for Hans and Wolfgang Zunterer in Munich and as a restorer under Roger Hargrave in Bremen. Saunders established his own workshop in Krems an der Donau, Austria, in 1987, after working with makers like Gerhard Neubauer and Hans Rombach. He passed his master's exam in 1988 and was appointed an expert to the Austrian Law Courts for Stringed Instruments and their Bows in 1995. He has made approximately 40 instruments and has since moved his workshop to Sankt Poelten and then Klosterneuburg.