About IJmkje

I make and restore violins, violas and cellos from home in Ely, and feel privileged to also work at the Royal Academy of Music in London as a member of the team that looks after their world class collection of instruments.
I also work regularly at Philip Brown Violins in Newbury.

While studying musicology and playing the violin I became interested in the making of violins.
I made my first violin with my local violin maker, Göran Tidström, in 2004. After completing musicology (MA, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, 2005) and the Newark Violin Making School in the UK (upper merit 2008), I worked for seven years with cello specialists Robin Aitchison and Sarah Mnatzaganian in Ely in the UK. I also did work experiences with several other violin experts: Anette Fajardo in London, Guust François in Amsterdam, Helen Michetschläger in Manchester, Matthew Wing in London, Andreas Post in Amsterdam, Kogge and Gateau in Berlin and Mark Wilhelm in Switzerland.

I regularly attend courses and workshops, such as the BVMA (British Violin making Association) Restoration Course and the Oberlin Violin Making Workshop and Restoration Workshop in the US, and other seminars and study days, such as François Perego's varnish courses in France.

On paper my first name can look a bit confusing, but here is some help: try 'eemkya', with the 'a' on the end sounding as 'e' in 'the'. And don't worry, I also accept all other variations!

Photo by Kathrin Hügel