Otto Paulus and his son Johannes worked together for many years, taking over the Schuster workshop in the 1950’s. The Paulus family of bow makers is today in its fourth generation, still making excellent bows in Markneukirchen.
A beautiful Weichold bow with an exotic wood frog and a distinctive three piece button.
After winning a number of gold medals in International bow making competitions, Morgan Andersen has become one of the most important bow makers of his generation.
Read the article on Morgan Andersen here.
Roger François Lotte studied with his father François, taking over his father’s workshop around 1960. He was very successful, supplying bows to dealers all over the world. This bow is unstamped, has a replacement frog, and is priced affordably.
Bernard Ouchard was an important figure in the history of 20th century French bow making. He studied with his father, the great Emile Auguste, After service in the French military, he moved to Geneva as the bow maker for Vidoudez where he stayed for over 20 years. In 1971 he returned to his native France where he was the professor of bow making at the Mirecourt School of Lutherie. He taught many of the best French bow makers of the last 50 years. We’ve recently been very fortunate to have had several bows by this important maker.
For 39 years Gerald Kagan was the assistant principal cellist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He was also well known as a bow maker as well as a creator and designer of fine jewelry. This elegant cello bow is typical of the high degree of craftsmanship he had become well known for. The unusual slide is of pearl and engraved gold.
Bernard was the son and pupil of the great Emile A. Ouchard. After working with his father and serving in the French army, Bernard became the bow maker for the Vidoudez, Geneva in 1949 and continued to make exceptional bows there until 1971 when he moved to Mirecourt and became the first professor of bow making at the Mirecourt School of Lutherie. For the several years he was there, he was responsible for the continuing of the highest level of French bow making into the 21st. century. Among his students were Martin Devillers, Eric Grandchamp, Jean Grunberger, Pascal Lauxerrois, Jean Pascal Nehr, Benoit Rolland, Christophe Schaeffer, George Tepho and Stephane Thomachaut along with many other of the best contemporary French bow makers.
Born in Munich, Florian studied viola performance and played in orchestras in the Netherlands. He studied bow making in the UK with several master makers. He has since moved to Boston where he continues to work with several important makers.
This interesting violin has a wonderful tone, suitable for a professional. The scroll, back and possibly the top are of old Neapolitan origin.
Born in Sienna, Italy in 1903, Alfeo Batelli studied with Valentino De Zorzi in Florence. He worked with Paoletti Vezio before establishing his own workshop in Florence. He emigrated to Chicago in 1947 working with Kagan & Gaines. Two years later he moved to Los Angeles and spent the next thirteen years with Hans Weishaar where so many of the best west coast makers perfected their skills. He established his own shop in 1963. He became one of the most important and respected makers on the West Coast.
Generally considered the finest of all Hungarian makers, Nemessanyi trained with J.B.Schweitzer and Thomas Zach before moving to Prague where he worked with A Sitt. He returned to Budapest in 1863. He employed several distinguished pupils He was quite successful in his own time, even though he only made a relatively small number of instruments. This fine violin is an exceptionally fine and attractive example of Nemessany’s work with superb tonal qualities.
Charles Espey has become one of the most important and respected bow makers in the U.S. He has worked with Hans Bischofberger, Robert Shallock, David Saunders and Stefan Thomachot and has won gold medals at the Violin Society of America and at the Kassel International competition. Port Townsend is the home to a number of the best bow makers in the country.
The Benardel family of violin makers is perhaps the most important and influential in the history of French violin making. Auguste Sebastien Philippe was the founder of the Bernardel dynasty and considered the most important member of the family and one of the greatest of all the Parisian makers. He began his studies in his native Mirecourt. He joined the great Nicolas Lupot (the greatest of all French luthiers) in Paris in 1815 where he continued until 1824. He worked briefly with Gand before opening his own shop in the Rue Croix des Petits Champs where J.B. Vuilaume had already set up his own establishment. He was joined by his sons Ernest and Gustave and continued until his retirement in 1866. This fine and interesting cello bears the makers signature and the date in several places internally.
John Tartaglia was a violist in The Minnesota Orchestra for 31 years starting in 1968. He made a number of instruments including his primary instrument that he used for a number of years.
Max Frirsz studied with his father Max Senior in Budapest. After a number of years in his own Budapest workshop, he moved to Canada in 1956 and to New York in 1958. He is especially well known for his violas. This viola was made for a long time member of the San Francisco Symphony who used it as his primary instrument for most of his career.
The Hjorth family of violin makers established the firm in 1789 and became one of the most important shops in Northern Europe under Emil’s direction. It continued until 2016. Emil Hjorth worked in Vienna, Paris with Bernardel and in London before returning to Copenhagen where he built the Hjorth firm into one of the most important in Europe. It was continued on by his sonsOthon & Knud.
Giovanni Cavani studied with the great Leandro Bisiach. He then set up his own workshop in Spilamberto. He was a highly regarded maker who won many awards for his work and was the maker for the Parma and Bologna conservatories. This violin was made at the peak of Cavani’s career.
Mario D’Alessandro trained at Wurlitzer in New York with Roman Klier starting in 1948, then with Simone Sacconi, working along side some of the most important makers of the time like Charles Beare,Louis Bellini, Dario D’Attili, Hans Nebel and Réne Morel. This beautiful violin was made while he was working at Wurlitzer.