Justin Haynes first became interested in early music while he was a freshman at Harvard where he played cello in the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra directed by Robert Mealy. The experience led him to study viola da gamba with Emily Walhout and 18th century chamber music with Robert Levin and Daniel Stepner. In his time at Harvard (B.A. 2003), he had the opportunity to perform under such guest directors as Christopher Hogwood and William Christie, while exploring repertoire ranging from consort music to baroque opera. He later moved to the Netherlands to study viola da gamba with Philippe Pierlot and Anneke Pols at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. Currently based in Toronto, he has performed in masterclasses in the USA and Europe for such gambists as Paolo Pandolfo and Jordi Savall.