A miracle of music in wood
By Alicia Bao
Photos by Yao Fan

来自冰岛的Hans Johannson, 举家来厦度假三个月, 并且爱上了美丽的鹭岛. Hans是个小提琴制作家, 尽管年产量屈指可数, 但其制作的小提琴却因做工精良畅销欧洲与北美. 在厦期间, 他还不忘与当地的音乐爱好者交流, 为厦大艺术学院的学生与厦门爱乐乐团成员上了生动的一堂课, 还免费为他们修理提琴.



Hans Johannson comes from the beautiful faraway kingdom of Iceland. Matching the romantic ideas that the name of his country inspires in us, his life is simple and dedicated to his art. He is a violin maker, a player, a music maniac, and an artist.

The legend of becoming a violin maker

When Hans was only a small child he inherited a fascination for wood from his grandfather Gudjion Halldorsson, a cabinet maker. He also learned excellent carpentry skills. Because of his equally strong attachment to music, he made an important decision at the age of 12, to devote his life to making violins.

After finishing his studies at the Newark School of Violin Making in Great Britain and graduating with distinction, he began his life as a violin maker back in Iceland and received a Master's Certificate from the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce.

His story is impressive, but the efforts behind it were enormous. When asked how he managed to finally realize his dreams, his answer is a heart-felt cry: "It's a sacrifice!" The learning period was harsh and protracted. It took a long time to build up fame and trust. "When you are young, musicians don't think you can make good violins!" Hans says emotionally. But his dogged perseverance and never fading love for the music and wood carried him through the difficult times, and his efforts finally received their just desserts.

From 1983 to 1994, Hans worked at the Chateau de Bourglinster, a picturesque 12th century castle in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The castle has become an important cultural centre, frequently holding concerts and exhibitions of a very high calibre.

Now, he runs a violin making workshop all by himself in Reykjavik, Iceland, specializing in the construction of violins, violas, cellos and double basses and the occasional restoration of old instruments. His instruments are mostly for professional musicians in Europe and America. A single violin inscribed with the name "Hans Johannson" could be worth more than twenty thousand US dollars.

All his instruments are created based on his own model; all outlines and proportions are designed on an ever evolving basic line. Only in rare circumstances does he make copies. He believes that the great masters of earlier times all evolved their own distinctive styles from classical themes, and that emulation is only useful when serving an educational purpose.

Hans sums up his vocation in a simple sentence: "I just love the music and the wood!" For him, making violins is a perfect combination of wood and music. In this way, he is able to realise an ideal combination of interests in his career and life.



Travelling life in Xiamen

Hans first heard of Xiamen from a Chinese friend who he met in Amsterdam. Along with his wife, who is a writer, he came up with the idea of going "somewhere strange". China was their number one choice. He brought his whole family from Iceland to Xiamen in August with the help of his Chinese friend, intending to stay here for three months.

"I am having a really good time here! The local people are so friendly and interesting!" Hans says with enthusiasm.

During the past two and half months, Hans made a lot of friends in the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Xiamen University Music Department. He volunteered to give professional lectures about his own field and has communicated his passion and knowledge to the students and musicians there.

Hans also talks about his affection for the orchestra. He gave them some heartfelt words of encouragement. "You can hear slightly that the orchestra is very young, and they haven't gone far in their development. We have the same situation in Iceland where I come from. Thirty years ago, the orchestras there were probably at the same level, and now they are really good. So, it's just a matter of time! Their quality is very high, especially the playing of string instruments, and the quality is going up. They just need to have some years of practice and to constantly exchange ideas with international musicians. They work harder than other orchestras. They are very promising!"

Love for Tai Chi

Hans first saw people doing Tai Chi in Hong Kong in the early morning and was very impressed by the sight. On this trip he got the chance to learn from Yang Aimin, known as the only teacher in Xiamen who teaches Tai Chi in English. Hans told us that he will definitely practise it every day when he is back home, and he also wants to take his interesting teacher back to Iceland. "People there are fascinated by Tai Chi. It helps you to relax and take your mind and body away from the strain of intense and stressful jobs!"

As the interview finishes, Hans smiles at us, and says "this is my first time to China, but it will by no means be the last!"


Vocabulary
fascination 着迷
cabinet 橱柜
carpentry 木工
string 琴弦
protracted 持久的
dogged 顽强的
restoration 修复
emulation 效仿

My Xiamen


Michael K. Vickers, from Canada, has been in Xiamen for three and a half years.

1. What do you like best about life here?
The best thing about life here is the weather and the relaxed pace. I am from Canada and I really hate the cold, so living here allows me to wear summer clothes most of the year.

2. What's your job here? How do you like it?
I am an English Teacher at Xiamen University. I really enjoy my work as the students are excellent and the University treats me very well. I generally find all the people in Xiamen to be friendly. I find my job very rewarding and challenging, each new day is exciting and full.

3. How do you spend your spare time in Xiamen?
In my spare time I like to visit with friends, play pool, go for walks by the sea and generally take it easy.

4. If there was one thing that you could change about Xiamen, what would that be?
I would love it if the drivers in Xiamen showed some respect for the pedestrians. I believe that if the local authorities imposed some fines or penalties on those drivers that break the traffic regulations there would be less traffic problems and all of us could breathe easier when we go out.

5. What's your favorite restaurant?
My favorite restaurant is a small Dongbei style place on Hubin Nan Lu called Duyichu Dumpling Restaurant. The food is great and the service is very good. It is a popular spot and they have an English menu available.

6. What do you like best about Xiamen?
My favorite thing about Xiamen aside from the weather and the seaside is how clean and safe the city is. I am never afraid to go anywhere on my own and I have never had any trouble here in Xiamen.

7. What do you think are the differences between Xiamen and other big cities in China?
I have only been to Shanghai, but for me the biggest differences would be about the size and the congestion. Of course the people of Xiamen are the best in my mind, but I am from a small Canadian city so the size of Xiamen suits me perfect.

8. What's the last great book you read?
I like to read, in fact I read quite a lot (mostly on the bus), and recently a student lent me "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera.

9. What's your favorite quotation or piece of advice?
My favorite saying is that "age is a matter of mind, and if you don't mind, it doesn't matter ".