František Kůs

About

František Kůs was born in Ostrov nad Ohří in 1965. He trained as a violin maker in Luby u Chebu in 1992 under masters Čech, Lupač, Zadražil and Pötzl, and has worked independently in his own workshop ever since. In 1998 he worked with the Polish maker Tadeusz Słodyczka; in 1999 he passed his approval examination in the workshop of Přemysl Otakar Špidlen and was admitted to the Circle of Czech Master Violinmakers.

From 2000 he spent three years as a restorer of string instruments in the Prague workshop of Jan and Přemysl O. Špidlen. Today he concentrates on new instruments – violins and violas valued for their easy response and warm, rich tone. He has also built two dobros and two guitars.

At the Věnceslav Metelka International Violin Making Festival in Náchod in 2008 he won 1st place and the main prize, together with awards for artistic impression, for the best varnish and for the best Czech participant. He placed 18th of 360 violins in Cremona in 2006, and in Fort Mitchell (Kentucky, USA) in 2002 he won a silver medal for tone among 181 instruments (no gold was awarded). He has also competed in Paris, Poznań and Náchod.

He is an honorary citizen of Ostrov and an active musician – with the Hary Phill Band and Swing Studio Karlovy Vary he has played at home and in Germany, the USA and Sweden and recorded several albums.