Staff | Huthmaker Rentals

Roland Huthmaker- 1942-2024

Our Founder and everyone's favorite violinist. Mr. Huthmaker started

Huthmaker Violins in the living room of his home in 1989, before going

on to grow the business into one of the largest violin shops in the South.

His heart is still at the center of everything we do.

Bachelors of Music- Violin Performance, Masters of Music-

Violin Performance, Doctoral work (ABD) - Violin Performance

Fifteen years of study at University of New Hampshire Violin and Bow

Restoration Program and the University of Massachusetts Violin

Repair Program

Dixie Huthmaker- Also our Founder and everyone's

favorite everything. Dixie is the center of it all and does

marketing, advertising, book-keeping, and general

staff-mothering. She is also our early-childhood

expert and taught the very first Suzuki class in Atlanta.

When she is not working at Huthmakers you can find her writing,

studying and working on the Huthmaker Violin web-sites.

Bachelors of Music Education, Masters of Music Education,

Three years of study at University of New Hampshire Violin and Bow

Restoration Program and the University of Massachusetts Violin

Repair Program

Anna Huthmaker- The Daughter and the Bow Queen. Anna

does all of the Bow repair and restoration and is the co-founder

of Luthiers Without Borders, USA. When she is not working at

Huthmakers, you can find her hiking, traveling and working at one of

the non-profits that she holds dear. Technically, she is now the owner of

Huthmaker Violins, due to the retirement of our founders, Dixie and Roland.

But she still considers the whole thing a wonderful family business and

is over-joyed to see the shop into its second generation of ownership.

Bachelors of Music-'Cello Performance, Masters of Music-Double

Bass Performance. 9 years of study in Bow restoration and making at the

University of New Hampshire Violin and Bow Restoration Program

and various bow workshops

Jonathan Simon- A graduate of the Red Wing Instrument Restoration

Program, Jonathan is a cellist and new dad. He is one of the friendliest

folks you will ever meet and heads up both the School Repair department

at Huthmakers and the Bass/Cello Workshop. When he is not working at

Huthmakers, you will find him enjoying married life with his new wife Rebecca

and his beautiful daughter, Lucy.

Charles Huthmaker- aka The Prodigal Son, Charles is the 'favorite son'. (And

yes, he is the only son!). He is a wonderful violinist whose true love is

coaching crew. He spent the better part of the last 25 years up North, but when

he was hired to be the Head Coach at University of North Georgia, we were

ecstatic to welcome him back home. These days, if you come visit the shop

and he is not here, chances are he is in the South of France eating cheese and

crepes and buying violins at the Vichy auction.

Bachelors of Mathematics, Masters of Science in Exercise Physiology, 52 years

of violin experience, including playing, teaching and touring.

Francisco Melo- An award-winning violin maker from Mexico, Francisco has

a diploma from the Cremonese Violin Making School. He is an expert in high-

end restoration and his work is highly sought after across the country. He also

teaches violin making to aspiring artists.

Donna Clegg- Donna is a violist who came to the instrument in her 50's

and has gone on to study music all over the country. She has played in

many symphonies and is an accomplished free-lance musician.

When she is not working at Huthmakers, she can be found volunteering

for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and traveling with her viola.

Dana Ballard- Dana is a retired public school orchestra teacher and, in 2001,

was named Gwinnett County High School Teacher of the Year and

Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year.
Dana holds Bachelors and Masters performance degrees on cello and has

performed with numerous regional symphonies. In her spare time,

you’ll find her enjoying being Nana to her two grandchildren.