Marc LaBerte Viola Bow

Marc André Joseph Laberte (b.1880, d.1963) was born into a family of violin makers that began with his great grandfather’s Mirecourt workshop in the late 1700s. Laberte’s father, Pierre Alexis Auguste Laberte, held the Laberte-Humbert Frères company and as early as 1911 Laberte began to play an active role as a bow-maker and luthier. He eventually inherited the family firm, employing hundreds of talented craftspeople and producing a wide range of instruments and bows based on their collection of pieces from the famous old-world makers. Master luthiers including Camille Poirson, Charles Brugère, and Georges Apparut worked for Laberte. The Laberte Humbert Frères firm came to be known for fine quality craftsmanship and in 1915 Laberte joined Fourier Magnié to establish Laberte-Humbert Frères, Fourier Magnié Réunis. Laberte’s son, André Emile Philippe Laberte, carried on the family legacy, becoming a fifth-generation violin maker. WWII disrupted the Mirecourt region and despite attempts to diversify the business and reestablish production levels, Laberte eventually saw the company decline.

The Laberte family workshop produced reliably high-quality instruments and bows for professional and student players alike. This hexagonal bow is crafted from finest pernambuco with silver lapping, a black leather grip, and ebony frog with a classic Parisian eye. The stick is strong and offers controlled playing with a quick response and balanced, full sound across registers. Advanced students and professional players will benefit from this bow’s meticulous craftsmanship, outstanding playing properties, and large, powerful, typically French sound.