Hojoon Owen Lee – Instrument Advisor
Owen Lee began his violin adventure in 2002, when he began importing violins, violas, cellos, and basses from various countries including China, Korea, and Germany.
Through diligent effort and excellent customer service, Owen built strong relationships with many well-known violin shop owners across the country. When they talked about the violin business and meeting customer expectations, one problem kept coming up: the inability to improve on the instruments provided by third parties.
This led Owen to renowned violinmaker and restorer Amos Hargrave in Lawrence, Kansas. Working with Hargrave, Owen learned the skills of violin making as they restored old Italian instruments as well as other fine instruments.
After his apprenticeship with Hargrave, a pupil of Rene Morel and former judge of the VSA competition, Owen continued and intensified his study of old Italian and fine violins. In addition, today he uses his experience and expertise to provide accurate and informative appraisals on customers’ instruments. Owen regularly visits Europe to look for hidden gems and the highest quality antique instruments and bows from all over Europe.
Owen is constantly searching for the best sounding instruments for his customers. Because he has been following the string instrument market for a number of years and working with many dealers across the country, Owen can give accurate advice to customers and investors, including forecasting the potential return on an investment an instrument may have.
Owen’s background as a violinmaker, his passion for these instruments, and his experience have led him to great opportunities to examine some of the best instruments from the likes of Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri Del Gesu, J.B Vuillaum, the Gagliano families, and many more.
Celebrating partnership and training with renowned French appraisers (Mr. Jean-Francois Raffin, Sylvan Bigot, Yannick Le Canu for French bows and Jean-Jacques Rampal, Jonathan Marolle for fine instruments), Owen Lee and LAVS are proud to host an annual event every January with these experts.
Jiwon Han- Head of Workshop
Already a maker in his own right, Jiwon joined our team to achieve higher level of restoring instruments. He acquired a tone award from the Violin Society America in 2018. LAVS is proud to have him as our head luthier.
Ryan Kim- Luthier & Repairs
Daniel Hooper – Orange County office Manager
Daniel began his violinistic journey in the fourth grade, and came up through the public school music program. Along the way, he took a number of Superior ratings at Solo Festivals, won chairs in many Junior High and High School Honor Orchestras, and was a member of Youth Symphony West for four years. He attended the Conservatory of Music at University of The Pacific, where he majored in Music Education and studied violin under Warren van Bronkhorst.
Daniel took his degree in English Literature at San Francisco State University, but still found time to play with San Francisco Children’s Opera, The University Symphony, and other community musical groups.
On returning to Los Angeles, Daniel decided to get seriously reacquainted with his violin, and that lead him to Los Angeles Violin Shop, where Danny and Owen were looking for a Sales Manager to help them grow their business and make themselves more widely known to the public school orchestra directors.
“The driving force behind Los Angeles Violin Shop,” according to Daniel, “is to put the best sounding instruments in the hands of players regardless of their performance level or budget. That means that students and those just starting out can get an instrument optimized to its highest potential, just like those of top performer. And they get the same service. That’s why I enjoy working at Los Angeles Violin Shop.”
Sarah M Cave- Public Relations & Sales
Sarah MeeRan Cave joined the LA Violin Shop team in July 2018. She brings with her a background rooted in violin performance, teaching, composing, fine arts, and even lutherie. A violinist since age three, she’s participated in musical collaborations around the world, performing at Lincoln Center, Conservatorium von Amsterdam, Banff Centre, National Centre for the Performing Arts (Mumbai), among others. Musical studies include Manhattan School of Music, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and learning Hindustani Classical music (North Indian) in Mumbai under Pandit Dhruba Ghosh. She studied sculpture with Rhoda Sherbell at the Arts Students League in NYC and later attended the Violin Making School of America. She enjoys the entire process of matching an instrument to a client: from helping play the instruments and making sure they’re set up properly, to getting to know a client’s unique background. Sarah hopes to continue to add to the knowledgeable yet welcoming atmosphere at LAVS.
Dodam Kim – Customer Service & Sales
Dodam Kim is a professional violinist and teacher in the Los Angeles area. She
started learning violin at the age of six in South Korea. Having moved to England
during middle school, she joined the junior Symphony orchestra at the Royal College
of Music in London and continued her studies with Natalia Boyarsky. In 2002, she
moved to the United States and continued her pursuit of music by joining the
Colburn School of Music program. Having taught private lessons from the age of 16,
she developed a deep passion for teaching, which ultimately lead her to pursue her
career as a violin teacher.
She studied at UCLA under Guillaume Suture, receiving full scholarship and B.A in
violin performance.
Currently, Dodam teaches at her own violin studio, while also working at LA violin
shop as a teacher and sales representative.
Sanha Park- Luthier & Violin Maker
My name is San-Ha Park. I am currently studying and working on set-up, repair, and building violins at Los Angeles Violin Shop in LA, California. I originally studied Guitar Craft at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. I studied under Isaac Jang, and have been in an apprenticeship with luthier Kathy Wingert since October, 2016. I have been repairing, restoring, and building guitars since, and am currently working on building instrument as a freelance builder. I also have experience as a TA at MI teaching the Guitar Craft courses. Before moving to CA in 2015, I finished Associates Degree in Liberal Arts, at MontgomeryCCC in Blue Bell, PA. I have also took different fine art courses at Tyler School of Arts, Moore College of Arts, and The Art Institute of Philadelphia.