Jonathan Hai

Jonathan Hai (Hebrew: יונתן חי) is an Israeli luthier.

Hai completed his studies as an engineer, specializing in the preservation of historic buildings and worked for eight years in an architectural office in Tel Aviv. During his stay in Italy, where he worked in his field of specialization, he decided to change direction and following his attraction to working with wood, he began a four-year apprenticeship in building violins at the School of Bow Making in Cremona, Italy. His teachers in Cremona were Maestro Giorgio Scolari and Maestro Massimo Negroni.

During his studies in Cremona, Hai won first place in the national Italian competition for bow making. He graduated in the summer of 2008 and received certification as a violin maker. He returned to Israel with his family, and he works in his studio in Ein Carmel and focuses most of his activity on building new instruments with a personal touch, which he bases on classic models in the Italian tradition. He also restores and refurbishes other bows and collaborates with other violin makers and bow maker David Samuels.