Charles Beare (born 1937) is a British violin expert, craftsman and dealer. In 2001, the ''New York Times'' described Beare as "the most esteemed authenticator in the world."
In 2002,
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
characterized him as the "world's most respected violin dealer" and "king of all violin dealers."
Fourth of five generations of a family of violin experts, he was the Director of the London-based John & Arthur Beare Ltd, before resigning in 2012. He is now a Director of the family fir
Beare Violins Ltd
Career
The step-son of William Beare,
Beare was born in 1937. He attended
National Service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The ...
before he began studying violin making in 1958. Beare studied first in Germany at the
Mittenwald
Mittenwald is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria.
Geography
Mittenwald is located approximately 16 kilometres to the south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is situated in the Valley of the River Isar, ...
School before travelling to the United States at the invitation of
Rembert Wurlitzer Rembert may refer to:
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*Catharine Rembert (1905–1990), American artist
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* Winfred Rembert (1945–2021), African-American artist
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, training under
Simone Fernando Sacconi
Simone Fernando Sacconi (May 30, 1895 in Rome – June 26, 1973 in Point Lookout) was an expert Italian violin maker and restorer who studied fellow '' luthier'' Antonio Stradivari extensively during his lifetime.
"While still at school he became ...
. In 1961, he returned to the United Kingdom, where his family had been in the trade for three generations,
initially as Beare, Goodwin & Co. from 1892, then incorporated as J & A Beare Ltd. in 1954. During his time at the head of the family's business he became an authority on authenticating and identifying violins as well as being one of the only tradesman entrusted to repair and maintain instruments by such artists as
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi or Jehudi (Hebrew: יהודי, endonym for Jew) is a common Hebrew name:
* Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), violinist and conductor
** Yehudi Menuhin School, a music school in Surrey, England
** Who's Yehoodi?, a catchphrase referring to t ...
,
Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern (July 21, 1920 – September 22, 2001) was an American violinist.
Born in Poland, Stern came to the US when he was 14 months old. Stern performed both nationally and internationally, notably touring the Soviet Union and China, and ...
,
Nathan Milstein
Nathan Mironovich Milstein ( – December 21, 1992) was a Russian-born American virtuoso violinist.
Widely considered one of the finest violinists of the 20th century, Milstein was known for his interpretations of Bach's solo violin works and ...
,
Jacqueline du Pré
Jacqueline Mary du Pré (26 January 1945 – 19 October 1987) was a British cellist. At a young age, she achieved enduring mainstream popularity. Despite her short career, she is regarded as one of the greatest cellists of all time.
Her care ...
,
Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman ( he, פנחס צוקרמן, born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor.
Life and career
Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zuk ...
,
Mstislav Rostropovich and
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
; he also built up a workshop team of enviable reputation.
In 1998 J & A Beare Ltd changed its name t
Beare Violins Ltd and gave its old name to a new venture formed jointly with another London-based firm. Beare was a director of both companies but resigned as a director of J & A Beare in November 2012, and from his subsequent role as consultant in September 2013. He returned to work in November 2014 through the original family company,
Beare Violins Ltd, and now concentrates primarily on writing certificates of authenticity for instruments of the violin family. It is estimated that Beare has personally signed more than 5,000 certificates of authenticity throughout his career.
Beare is an honorary member (and former president) of the EILA (l’Entente Internationale des Maîtres Luthiers et Archetiers d’Art), a member of the BADA (British Antique Dealers Association), an honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and was made an honorary citizen of Cremona, Italy, following the highly successful 1987 Stradivari exhibition. He was awarded an
OBE in 2004 for services to the Music Industry.
Family
Beare's sons,
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
and Freddie, are the fifth generation in the Beare family to take up the trade.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beare, Charles
1937 births
Living people
Violin dealers
Date of birth missing (living people)
Bowed string instrument makers
British musical instrument makers
Officers of the Order of the British Empire