Biographies

GÁBOR FODOR 1976 - Born in Budapest. 1996-1999 - Learnt woodwind instrument making in the workshop of Attila Szabó and Zoltán Csernai in the SONUS musical instrument shop. 1999(Sept)-2000 - Learnt bow making in the Etzler workshop in Göd. 2001 - Worked as a bow maker in Tamás Guminár’s violin making workshop. 2002-2007 - Repaired and constructed bows for the Rose musical instrument shop run by Tibor Juhos. He dealt with both modern and baroque bows. 2008 to date - Specialized in precision mechanics and metal works.

ANDRÁS NAGY 1974 - Born in Miskolc. 1989-1993 - Accomplished his secondary education as a violin student at the Béla Bartók Music Conservatory in Miskolc. 1993-1995 - Completed his studies of stringed and plucked musical instrument making and restoring at the Musical Instrument Making School of the Franz Liszt Music Academy under the supervision of István Harsányi.

GOLLOB BALÁZS 1971 – Born in Budapest. 1989 – Studied plucked and stringed musical instrument making at Gyula Kaesz Vocational School of Woodworking. 1991 – Gained his professional certificate. Masters: Károly Bősz, Pál Sáránszky. 1991-1992 – Student at the Hungarian College of Applied Arts. 1993-1995 - Assistant to violin making master Pál Sáránszky. 1995-1997 - Studied at IPIALL, Cremona. Master: Giorgio Scolari. 1997 - Gained his certificate at IPIALL. 1997 to date – Working in his workshop in Újpest.

PAUL SADKA 1966 - Born in Buckingham,UK. 1991-1994 – Trained as a professional cellist at the Trinity College of Music, London and completed photography studies at the same time. 1994-1995 – Learnt bow making from Noel Burke in Ireland then continued his studies in Cremona. 1996-1998 – Worked in the South of France. End of 1998 – Came to Budapest and worked in Bence Holló’s workshop in the first year. 2000-2003 – Ran his own workshop in Budapest.

LÁSZLÓ LAKATOS 1962 - Born in Szabadka. 1982 - Started making musical instruments. 1982-1992 - Regularly consulted with Lajos Dudás, musical instrument maker in Szabadka. 1992-1996 - Worked for Accord workshop in Budapest lead by István Bogsütz and László Juharos. Colleagues:Judith Moser and László Nemessányi. Apprentices: Bence Holló, István Molnár, László Hurguly, György Kúti and Gábor Draskóczy. 1997-2003 - Worked independently at Tibor Semmelweis’ workshop in Zugligeti utca. Apprentices: Ivány Adonyi and Zoltán Horváth.

GÉZA SÁLI 1960 - Born in Mezőhegyes. 1978-1980 – Learnt violin making under the supervision of Ferenc Lakatos in the workshop of the Franz Liszt Music Academy following twelve years of violin playing and completing his secondary education 1981 – Made his first bows (then Baroque) 1985 – Obtained his master’s certificate. February 1989 – ’Infected’ Etzler Bernd with bow making. 1989 – Graz, violin and bow maker. 1996 – Received his second master’s certificate in Vienna.

LÁSZLÓ VÁRADY-SZABÓ 1975 – Accomplished his secondary education as a double bass student at the Zoltán Kodály Conservatory in Debrecen. 1978 – Qualified as a Double Bass Teacher at the Franz Liszt Music College in Debrecen. 1976 – Double bass player of the MÁV Philharmonic Orchestra in Debrecen, later known as Debrecen Philharmonic Orchestra, today as Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra.

JÁNOS LAKATOS 1950 – Born in Egerszalók. 1965-1966 – Accomplished his secondary education at the music faculty of Géza Gárdonyi Secondary School in Eger. 1967 – Worked as a musician together with his father in Mezőkövesd. 1968 – Musician in Budapest. 1969-1970 – Studied clarinet folk music in the Musical Studio. 1970-to retirement – Travelling the world as a clarinet player. 1995-1998 – Learnt bow making from József Horváth while also consulting Rudolf Rigó. 1997 – Started bow making in his home in Kispest.

RUDOLF RIGÓ 1949 – Born in Budapest. 1960s – Played the double bass in the Rajkó Orchestra supporting young talents. 1992 – Learnt bow making from Sándor Radics in his workshop in Sashalom. 1992-1993 – Continued his studies with József Horváth. Until his death in 2001 he was a productive bow maker. He developed his own model, signed his high quality bows with his own stamp. He also constructed excellent French bow copies. His early death was a great loss for the Hungarian bow making profession.

LAJOS KÓNYA 1948 – Born in Tatabánya. Learnt both violin making and photography from his father. 1968~ Took up wood carving, then constructed folk music instruments. Being encouraged by his father he started to work with stringed instruments. 1969 – Opened his studio. 1981 – Gained his vocational certificate as a musical instrument maker. 1983 – Opened his own workshop in Tatabánya. 1987 – Obtained his master’s certificate. 1989-2004 – Constructed altogether some 50-60 bows exclusively for violin.

DEZSŐ HORVÁTH (1946-) 1946 – Born in Gönc. 1951 – Started playing the violin. 1957 – Transferred to cymbalo playing. 1978 – Visited Ottawa with the orchestra of József Horváth. January 1979 – Visited József Kun and became his apprentice. 1980 to date – Constructing bows in his flat in Havanna út, Budapest, Hungary.

ISTVÁN SCHNEIDER 1943 – Born in Várpalota. 1960 – Started working for HANGSZÖV in Budapest as a trained worker. Also studied brass instrument making from János Gruber then. 1965 – Gained his professional certificate as brass instrument maker. 1969 – Worked for HANGSZÖV in József körút (from 1970 known as KOZMOSZ) 1972 – Gained his master’s certificate of violin making in the workshop of Pál Sáránszky. 1974 – Opened his own workshop where he only focused on stringed and plucked musical instruments. He also constructed bows.

PÉTER DARÓCZI 1934 – Born in Szeged. 1953 – Started working for the Musical Instrument Factory in Szeged, learnt violinmaking under the supervision of Lajos and Miklós Sebők. 1957 – Obtained his vocational qualification. 1982 – Started running his own workshop on Hunyadi János sugárút while still working full time for the musical factory. As a craftsman he fully equipped his workshop with machines made by himself. He planes his bows octagonal, he buys ready-made frogs and doesn’t use a stamp.

KUN JÓZSEF - JOSEPH KUN 1930-1996 1930 – Born in Kassa. 1948-1953 - Learnt violin and bow making from Vladimir Prybil. 1956 – Gained his musical degree as a violinist. 1953-1968 – Part-time violin and bow maker while also working as a violin teacher of the Czech State Conservatory. 1968 – Emigrated to Canada and settled down in Ottawa where he opened his own workshop. He was a successful bow maker and author of the book ’The Art of Bowmaking’. However, he was best known for developing his own violin and viola shoulder rest. Stamps

ISTVÁN KÓNYA, Sr. 1919-1999 He studied photography from 1943. He got his master craftsman certificate of photography and opened his studio. From the age of thirteen he made attempts to make violins but he was 44 in 1964 when he decided to go to Cremona and learn the profession. He spent four years there. In 1968 he returned to Tatabánya with a diploma of merit. Later he moved to Tata where he devoted his whole life to instrument making. He won silver/second prize with his cello at the first Triennale in Cremona in 1976.

LÁSZLÓ BÓZA 1909-? He learnt the profession at the Mogyoróssy company where he worked until 1931. He also made bows.

MIHÁLY BODÁK He worked in the 1930s in Detroit.

ERNŐ STEIGERWALD 1904-? He learnt from Márton Hein in Székesfehérvár between 1918 and 1921, then worked for Róbert Laumann and from 1924 in Dezső Bárány’s ’English workshop’. He also visited the workshops of István Havas, József Schneider and Sternberg. He became independent in 1932. He also made bows.

SÁNDOR ELEK, JR. 1901-83 He learnt from his father between 1920 and 1924 then established his own workshop in 1927.

LÁSZLÓ REMÉNYI 1895-1964 First he learnt from his father then from Winterling in Hamburg and Caressa&Francais in Paris. He returned to his father’s workshop in 1919. Plenty of excellent violin makers worked for the Reményi workshop.

LAJOS KOVÁCS 1891-1970 After becaming independent in 1920 he worked for András Bergmann and K. Ottó Zimmerand. Between 1922 and 1928 he worked for Sternberg. From August 1928 he worked on his own. He also made bows.

ANTAL KLIER (son of András Klier living in Bratislava) He was a bow maker in Szeged between 1908 and 1930.

ANDRÁS PALATINUS 1887-1941 He learnt from Antal Habits in Budapest then from János Lenhardt in Pécs. He was known as a versatile maker in Szolnok. He also made bows.

PÉTER PÁL BEKE 1883-1945 He made his first instruments while working as a shepherd. He became independent from Róbert Laumann in 1910. He learnt bow making from Louis Otto in Düsseldorf and later he worked for Josef Held in Cologne. Also worked in Schönbach and Paris.

ANTAL BRAUN II 1877-1927 He learnt instrument making from his brother János Braun in Szeged. From about 1900 he worked in Temesvár. There are bows stamped Braun, but without seeing one in person it is difficult to say which member of the Braun family it is stamped by.

JÁNOS STOWASSER, JR.?-1937 He took over his father’s musical instrument factory in 1924 and managed it successfully until his death in 1937. There are numerous bows stamped Stowasser.

MIHÁLY REMÉNYI 1867-1939 He was an apprentice of György Tánczer. From 1887 he worked for Pál Pilát and for Sándor Ferenczy from 1889. In 1890 he opened his own workshop. There are bows stamped Reményi, but without seeing one in person it is difficult to say which member of the Reményi family it is stamped by.

ANDRÁS BERGMANN 1862-1932 He was an apprentice of Eduard Bartek, later assistant to Pál Pilát. In 1898 he opened his own workshop in Budapest. He stamped his bows BERGMANN A.BUDAPEST.

PÁL PILÁT 1860-1931 He learnt violin making from Thomas Zach in Vienna, he worked for Gabriel Lemböck and David Bittner here. After he moved to Budapest he first worked for J.W.Schunda later for Eduard Bartek. In 1883 he took over the workshop of Ede Bartek.

LAJOS KÖHLER, 1859-1935 He was born in Abaújszántó. He learnt violin making from Pál Pilát in Budapest. In 1887 he opened his own workshop. In 1891 he worked in Berlin, later in Chicago. After the earthquake of 1896 he returned to Budapest. He stamped his bows KÖHLER L.BUDAPEST.

CARL HERMANN VOIGT 1850-1925 He was born in Markneukirchen where he learnt bow making. In 1867 he worked for Ludwig Bausch in Dresden. He moved to Pest in 1868. Later he worked for Adolf Mönning and Alajos Engleder. He left to Vienna in 1871 to work for Gabriel Lemböck. In 1876 he took over C.F.Schmidt’s workshop and worked here until retirement in 1910. Stamps: C.H.VOIGT,VOIGT WIEN and H. VOIGT in WIEN

ANTAL BRAUN I. 1847-1901 He learnt violin making in his hometown, Kuttenberg from II. Ferdinand Josef Homolka, then worked for Placht in Vienna. He moved to Budapest in 1876 and worked here until 1887, then he left to Szeged and later to Belgrade. There are bows stamped Braun, but without seeing one in person it is difficult to say which member of the Braun family it is stamped by.

JÁNOS RIEDL 1833-1918 He was born in Schönwert and learnt musical instrument making in Graslitz, later worked in Vienna and Pozsony, Pressburg. Finally he settled down in 1861 in Sopron where his descendants still live. Apart from his main field in brass wind instruments he was also involved in stringed instruments making.

JOHANN DIEHL He was born into a German violin and bow making family. Around 1808 he worked in Hungary then in Mainz until 1843. He may have made bows as well.