A professional musician and concert artist myself, I
understand the importance of performing on an instrument that not only feels
comfortable but also inspires you to play your best. By paying attention to
both sound and aesthetics I strive to create a guitar that will please
all my senses before anyone else’s. I am trying to give birth to my ideal musical sound and I hope that I will live long enough to achieve it. - Antonis Hatzinikolaou
Winner of the Royal Academy of Music's prestigious Julian Bream Prize, adjudicated by the great maestro himself, Antonis Hatzinikolaou, has, apart from his concert and conservatory teaching duties, spent a number of years researching and perfecting his luthiery skills by designing and constructing fine concert guitars. He has been fortunate to learn his craft next to Greek master guitar makers Nicholas Ioannou (New York) and George Pandelias (Athens). His work has been inspired by the Hermann Hauser I and Robert Bouchet traditions, and influenced by a number of great luthiers of our time such as Dominique Field and Jeffrey R. Elliott.
Antonis Hatzinikolaou hand crafts traditional fan braced classical guitars using the finest tonewoods available. For soundboards Alpine spruce or red cedar, for back and sides Indian rosewood and other exotic rosewoods available upon request, for necks Spanish cedar or genuine mahogany, and for fretboards African Ebony. He finishes his instruments with either shellac applied using traditional French polish technique or with his proprietary handmade oil based Amber Varnish, a recipe that he learned from master luthier Nicholas Ioannou.
Antonis Hatzinikolaou divides his time between building fine concert guitars and his duties as an esteemed Professor of Guitar at the Phillipos Nakas Conservatory in Athens. To keep track of his most recent work, visit Antonis's instagram page that he updates on a regular basis.