From his workshop in the heart of downtown Baltimore, Ryan Fini handcrafts concert violins, violas, and cellos of exceptional tone and uncompromising quality. A violinist from an early age, he came to instrument making through a lifelong devotion to music — one that deepened during his college studies and found its fullest expression when he first encountered the craft of lutherie.
Ryan completed his formal training at the distinguished violin making program of the North Bennet Street School in Boston, studying under master violin maker Roman Barnas. He graduated with two of the school's highest honors: the Award for Distinguished Craftsmanship and the interdepartmental DMT Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship.
He then joined David Brewer Fine Violins, where he worked as a restorer and instrument technician while continuing to make violins of his own. Surrounded daily by an exceptional collection of historic instruments, he spent years in close study of works by the great Italian masters — Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, Guadagnini, and Amati. That immersion in the finest making of the past remains a living influence on everything he creates today.
Ryan established his own workshop in 2016, first in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before relocating to Baltimore in 2019. There, he and his brother Aaron founded R&A Fini Fine Violins and Bows — a shared studio where the traditions of instrument making and bow making are pursued with equal commitment and care.
Aaron Fini is an acclaimed bow maker based in Baltimore, Maryland, where he works in close collaboration with his brother, violin maker Ryan Fini. Specializing in finely crafted violin, viola, and cello bows, he serves professional musicians and advanced artists throughout the United States and abroad.
Aaron's work combines rigorous scholarship with artistic intuition. Through extensive study of significant historical bows and the techniques of the great French masters, he creates both historically informed replicas and innovative contemporary models that elevate the expressive capabilities of the player.
His bows are played by members of major American orchestras, including the Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Detroit Symphonies, as well as faculty and exceptional students of the Peabody Conservatory.
Defined by a commitment to tonal excellence, precision craftsmanship, and enduring beauty, Fini's bows have quickly earned recognition in the world of fine stringed instruments, positioning him among the most compelling emerging American makers of his generation.