Hanson Yao / Altamira

Conghua, near Guangzhou, China

Yao Xin, known internationally as Hanson Yao, is one of China's most respected contemporary guitar makers. He studied woodworking and craftsmanship at the China Academy of Art, then traveled to Spain in the early 2000s to learn classical guitar making directly from the Spanish luthier tradition. Today he directs the Altamira workshop in Conghua, near Guangzhou, leading a skilled team of craftspeople, and through the Altamira Guitar Art Foundation he supports concerts, festivals, and masterclasses worldwide. His concert instruments are played by artists including David Russell, Aniello Desiderio, and René Izquierdo.

The workshop builds in the Spanish method, with the neck and headblock carved from a single piece of wood so body and neck vibrate as one, traditional rope binding, and extensive handwork in sustainably sourced woods such as German spruce and Indian rosewood. The range is unusually broad: Hanson's own N2 traditional and N3 double top concert models sit alongside historical instruments, including an 1888 Torres model, a small bodied Sor model in the Mirecourt style, and the Vienna model after Johann Georg Staufer, complete with an ingenious adjustable, detachable neck.

We have known the Altamira team for over five years, recording a home concert for them and collaborating on numerous projects before becoming proud representatives of their guitars. The Hanson Workshop instruments we have offered, from the Vienna and Sor models to the Torres, share a common character: charming, colorful, carefully set up, and with far more dynamic range than their compact sizes suggest. Players like Pavel Steidl and Ricardo Gallén have performed on the Vienna model, and we understand why. Our expert team is happy to reserve the next arrival or arrange a showroom visit.