George Apparut

1877 – 1948

 

Georges Apparut was born at Juraincourt in 1877. At the age of 14, he began training as an apprentice in the workshop of Leon Apparut, his father. He perfected his technique at Paul Blanchard’s workshop at Lyons, and from 1900 to 1903, he worked with Mougenot at Brussels. Apparut was later employed at the Laberte Workshop in Mirecourt. His work was highly esteemed at exhibitions where he obtained gold medals at Nancy, Brussels, Metz, Gand, and Paris. He rose to prominence as a maker of fine instruments after several soloists began to acknowledge his excellent craftsmanship and the brilliant tone his instruments produce. Apparut saw great value in sharing his trade with those who were willing to learn, and opened a training school in his own workshop. He gave practical and theoretical training to more than twenty apprentices, many of whom went on to distinguish themselves in exhibitions and professional competitions.

In his lifetime, Apparut likely produced over 500 instruments with his signature. He modeled many of his instruments faithfully after Stradivarius and other Italians, with beautiful precision and remarkable attention to detail. His style is mature as a result of many dedicated years of study and experience, with instruments made from beautiful wood and finished with transparent oil varnish. His focus on perfecting classical technique in every bit of craftsmanship he produced has earned him the reputation of a master.