Oliver Webber has been specialising in historical violins and their relatives since the early 1990s. He has been a passionate advocate for bringing research and performance together: his work in the field of string-making has been transformative, inspiring individuals and ensembles worldwide, and his study of historical bow-holds has played a role in several important recordings, including Gabrieli’s award-winning readings of Purcell in 2019. Oliver holds a particular fascination for the art of ornamentation: he teaches courses on ornamentation in a range of styles for singers and instrumentalists at the Guildhall School in London, where he is a professor of baroque violin and viola, and his 2021 Resonus Classics recording, Con Arte e Maestria, was described as ‘dazzling yet intelligent’ – Planet Hugill. Oliver is also the founder and director of the Monteverdi String Band, whose performances (‘the very embodiment of sprezzatura’ – Early Music Review) have been inspired by literature, science and the carnival entertainments of the Venetian nobility.