Czech Music Industry
Gerhard Klier’s grandfather, Anton Schrötter, owned a violin shop and workshop in Cheb/Eger. In the 1920s several of Gerhard’s relatives moved to the United States. His uncle, Roman Klier, ended up working for Wurlitzer repairing violins, while Gerhard’s grand uncle, Andrew Schrötter, opened a...
Rudolf Neudörfer, bow maker, grew up in the Czech Republic after 1945 and went to the Violin Making School in Luby, learning the craft of violin making from his teacher Bohumil Pechar and Hans Schmirler. He then worked at the Cremona cooperation for string instruments in town until he escaped...
Karl Hoyer was born in Schönbach/Luby in the Czech Republic to a family of violin makers. As a child, he helped in his father’s workshop, and in 1944, went to the school of violin making in Schönbach where music lessons were part of the curriculum. When the family moved to Bubenreuth, Karl worked...
Hans Dörner grew up in the music town of Schönbach/Luby surrounded by musical instrument makers - including his grandfather the violin maker and tonewood dealer Joseph Trasny and his uncle violin maker Hans Trasny, who was master of the guild until 1945. Hans lived in Luby until 1946 and worked for...
Gerhard Dotzauer has made a living selling musical instrument parts to companies worldwide. He provides bridges, exotic woods, machine heads, and specializes in necks for banjos with mother of pearl and abalone inlays for such companies as Baldwin and Gibson, among many others. He sources these...
Roman Zajicek was born in Kolin in the Czech Republic, where for several decades the government made it difficult to do business as an independent luthier. In 2003, when he had the opportunity to open his own guitar shop he did. Based on his first name and his favorite wood to use for guitar...
Leonhard Scheuch was born 1938 in Winterthur, Switzerland. After theater studies in Munich and Vienna he worked as artistic director at the Zürich Opera until 1975. His career took a turn when he met Barbara Vötterle of the Bärenreiter publishing house in the birth town of Smetana and soon married...
Karl Schulze’s grandfather worked in the piano business during his career, so it certainly was not out of place when young Karl began learning the craft of piano building. Karl worked for the C. Bechstein Piano Company, which was founded in 1853. When the company went up for sale in 1986, Karl...
Jan Petrof is the fourth generation in his family to operate the Petrof Piano Company, located in the Czech Republic. Jan’s great grandfather formed the piano company in 1864 and since that time the Petrof name has been connected in many innovations and style designs that were firsts within the...
Zuzana Petrofova is the fifth generation in her family to operate the Petrof Piano Company, located in the Czech Republic. Her great- great grandfather formed the piano company in 1864 and since that time the Petrof name has been connected in many innovations and style designs that were firsts...