Anna R. began playing the violin when she was eight years old. At home, her parents accompanied her in the early stages of learning the instrument and as a teenager she played in two school orchestras. When Anna left to study architecture in Aachen in 1994, she did not continue playing regularly and became frustrated when she realized she could no longer perform as well.

Anna was born and raised in Darmstadt, a city located in the southern part of the Rhine-Main-Area in Germany. She first came to the UK as an Erasmus student in 1997, where she attended UCL’s Bartlet School of Architecture and built a strong relationship with her British peers. Whilst she was studying in London, she became acquainted with a department of the university that dealt with the analysis of public buildings. This department created a company called Space Syntax and a few years later in 2002, after she had returned to Germany and completed her diploma, they offered Anna a job. Originally intending to stay for a few years, she decided to permanently stay in the UK. Since 2007, she has been a partner of the company.

About three years ago, Anna eventually brought her instrument to the UK and started to play it regularly again about six months ago. These days, she makes music to relax and take time out from her busy work life. A neighbor accompanies her on the piano and whilst she appreciates her dedication as a child, Anna is now comfortable playing for herself rather than striving for perfection in front of an audience.

Object Information

• Year of Purchase: 1988
• Producer: Musikhaus Arnold
• Place of Production: Darmstadt
• Material: Wood
• Size: Length: 60, Width: 22 cm (violin); Length: 75 cm (bow)
• Colour: Brown, black; the violin is a copy of an Antonius Stradivarius’ model