On March 26, NAMM historian Dan Del Fiorentino got in touch with sad news about the passing of violin-maker Kurt Glaesel:
Our dear friend Jean Johnson called today to let us know the sad news that Kurt Glaesel has passed away on March 21.
Kurt was born into a violin-making family which dates back to 1720, but it was Kurt who made his family name nationally known. After a noted 20 year career with Heinrich Roth, Kurt established Glaesel String Instrument Service, Inc. in 1973. The company was soon sold to Selmer, where Kurt remained making his handcrafted instruments for 15 additional years. During that time, Selmer marketed the string instrument line with a strong, worldwide campaign that featured Kurt’s likeness on each ad and brochure.
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Kurt was very proud that his daughter Judy, and her daughter, Hannah, followed in his footsteps and also work in the violin industry! He has left us with a very impressive legacy, one that continues to develop and contribute to the music industry.
