The turmoil of WWII was the impetus for Richard Grunke (b. 1930, Poland) to relocate in the upper Vogtland in 1944. Once there, he began his apprenticeship in bow making with Edwin Herrman (1945) and then completed his studies in the H.R. Pfretzschner workshop (Markneukirchen) between 1946 and 1948. In 1950, Grunke traveled to Berlin to work for Alfred Leicht where Grunke burnished his training. Intent on augmenting his training, Grunke completed his master’s examination in bow making (1957) while in the employ of the Roderich Paesold workshop. Initially, Grunke bows were influenced by the Pfretzschner workshop models and later evolved to reflect his personal tastes with inclination to the work of French bow makers A. Lamy and E. Sartory. In 1975, Grunke established his own highly successful business in Bubenreuth which became a highly frequented address for professional string musicians. In 1996, Grunke founded a new company with his two sons.
If you are a violist seeking a bow that is “gutsy” for projecting those soaring, passionate viola solo passages AND will gift you with pinpoint articulation AND superb control for those wild 20th century passages, check out the Grunke bow. We think you will be elated with the strength, precision, and excitement this bow can deliver.