Sunday, July 21, 9:30-10:15am in the Buckham Room

Dave Dobrinen:  The Art and Aspects of Violin, Viola, and Bow Making

David Mitchel Dobrinen taught orchestra for the SF Unified School District for 33 years, conducted All City Honor Orchestras in San Francisco and San Mateo, has been a professional violist with Villa Sinfonia for 40 years, and has done string quartet freelancing for 40 years.  He began repairing violins, violas and cellos when a colleague bequeathed David his father’s violin making tools in the 1980’s.  He completed a violin repair workshop in New Hampshire given by Hans Nebel and then saved money for the SFUSD by repairing his students’ instruments and repairing and rehairing bows.  David loves studying about string instruments and bows – their histories and how they were made, varnish making, and tone woods. He has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe to visit violin shops and makers.