Roy Courtnall Summerfield

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Roy Courtnall Summerfield (born Roy Shapiro) is a South African-born British luthier, artist, author, teacher and lecturer in musical instrument technology. He was born on 31 December 1953 in Cape Town and moved to the United Kingdom at age 18. He studied A levels at Abbotsholme School (1972–73) and earned a BA in Fine Art Sculpture from Goldsmiths College, University of London. He adopted the name Courtnall as his professional surname, inspired by his great-grandfather who taught him woodwork.

Education
- Born in 1953 in Cape Town, South Africa
- Moved to the UK at 18 to study
- Attended Abbotsholme School (A levels) and Goldsmiths College, University of London (BA in Fine Art Sculpture)
- Later used Courtnall as his professional name

Career

Guitar making
- In 1994, the Newark School of Violin Making commissioned him to write the syllabus and establish a Classical Guitar Making course
- The program grew into the UK’s leading vocational course in guitar making, awarding a BA (Hons) through the University of Hull
- Retired from Newark College in 2008
- Worked on classical guitar design, studying the Spanish tradition and collaborating with guitarist Rob Johns to develop a lattice-braced concert guitar, inspired by Greg Smallman

Fine art painting
- Returned to painting and uses the birth name Roy Shapiro for his realist still lifes
- Has exhibited at major venues such as the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (Mall Galleries, London), and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists

Publications
- Making Master Guitars: a practical guide and history of leading 19th–20th century luthiers, including detailed drawings and plans of guitars by Antonio de Torres, Hermann Hauser, Ignacio Fleta, Santos Hernandez, Jose Romanillos and others; praised by Lipkin and Algranati
- The Art of Violin Making, co-authored with Chris Johnson; described by The Strad as a major contribution; includes a foreword by Yehudi Menuhin and follows the Newark School method; translated into Chinese

Active years
- Guitar making: 1985–2019
- Painting: 2019–present

Roy Summersfield remains known for his contributions to instrument making, his teaching and writing, and his shift back to Fine Art in later years.