Hans Haider, born in 1935 in Cuxhaven, Germany, was a German guitarist, luthier, and composer. Haider trained as a violin maker, took violin lessons, and taught himself to play the guitar. In post-war Hamburg, he performed in soldiers' clubs and subsequently secured engagements as a guitarist in theaters and various orchestras, including those of James Last and Kai Warner. He accompanied popular soloists of the era, such as Freddy Quinn, Harald Juhnke, and Caterina Valente, and taught at the Hamburger Konservatorium and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. In the early 1970s, Haider developed the “Lautarre” (or lute-guitar), a custom stringed instrument combining elements of the guitar and the lute. His recordings using this instrument include Hans Haider und seine Lautarre (1975) and Lautarre mal 2 (1977). His other albums include Summerland (1975), Golden Country (1975), Traumland (1977), Silver Flute & Guitar (1977), Music For My Friends (1979), Beautiful Landscapes and Countryside Impressions (1999), and On the Wings of Fantasy (2003). He also composed the title music for the television series Der Millionenbauer (1979–1982). Haider died on November 20, 2010, in Hamburg.
