Roberto Hernández Céspedes

Luthier

©Roberto Hernandez Cespedes

A thirst for innovation

Roberto has been a luthier since 2003
For him, transforming wood into instruments is something wonderful
He incorporates new looks into traditional instruments

Roberto Hernández Céspedes began his apprenticeship in 2003 at UMCE University, where Latin American lutherie workshops were held for music students. "I was not a student at that university, but I was able to talk to teachers and get them to accept me in their classes," he says. He learned there for three years. "I worked with the maestro and did an apprenticeship in his personal workshop for a further three years." Roberto then contacted master Carlos López Menares, and learned classical guitar construction from 2012 to 2018 with him. He also went to Italy to learn baroque techniques for historical guitar construction with master Gabriel Aguilera. "During all this time I have applied elements of each master in my creative work. Currently, I am working on expanding my knowledge to violin making, with Hernán Dávila," adds Roberto.

Interview

©Roberto Hernandez Cespedes

©Roberto Hernandez Cespedes

What kind of instruments do you make?: My specialty is the construction of Latin American plucked chordophone instruments such as the Venezuelan cuatro, charango, Colombian tiple, Cuban tres, Vihuela campesina, Chilean guitarrón, Aymara bandola, bandolim campeiro, as well as other universal instruments such as guitars, basses, among others.
What kind of wood species do work with?: I currently use a mixture of woods in my work: endemic, collected and recycled woods and also imported woods, which are used especially for traditional lutherie (ebony, spruce, jakaranda, walnut, and more).
What do you look for in your work?: The crossbreeding. My workshop seeks a work of crossbreeding between the traditional and the innovative. We also seek to de-colonialise lutherie from its Eurocentric origin, highlighting the Latin American mestizo instruments, through the best possible craftsmanship, technically and aesthetically.
What are your sources of inspiration?: I am always looking at great instrument makers, both Chilean and from around the world. I also observe other woodworkers: sculptors, carvers and draftsmen, the Japanese school of carpentry, for example, is a great reference in my personal work.

Roberto Hernández Céspedes is a master artisan: he began his career in 2003 and he started teaching in 2012