Milan Oubrecht was born on 19th November 1950 in Mladá Boleslav. He spent his childhood in Mariánské Lázně. After finishing primary school, he was admitted to the School for Violin-Makers in Luby u Chebu, a town with a long tradition of manufacturing string instruments. When he finished this school in 1969 he worked in the Cremona firm, nowadays called Strunal, where he gained valuable experience in bow-making. He later studied at the Teachers College in Karlovy Vary and from 1977 to 1990 he taught at the School for Violin-Makers in Luby. During his teaching career he continued making master bows. Oubrecht's influence is evident in the work of nearly all contemporary Czech bow-makers. In his early career he had the advantage of the advice and experience of many great people such as Bohuslav Pechar, the musical instrument repairer to the Czech Philharmonic, the excellent German bow-maker Herbert Leicht, Jaroslav Motlík, the violist of the CP and professor of Janáček Academy of Arts, and especially František Pošta, the outstanding Czech double bass player and soloist with the CP, who served as his long-term advisor and championed his bows both at home and abroad. In 1987, Oubrecht became a member of the Circle of Artists in Violin-Making in the Association of Concert Artists and Scientists. Since 1991 he has been making only master bows in his workshop in Luby, where he also lives. His son, Luboš, is also a bow-maker. Oubrecht's bows are used by Czech soloists such as Ivan Ženatý, Bohuslav Matoušek, Petr Messiereur, Pavel Hůla, Petr Maceček, Gabriela Demeterová (violin), Jan Pěruška, Jaroslav Motlík, Ladislav Kyselák (viola), Daniel Veis, Jiří Bárta, Evžen Rattay (violoncello), Jiří Hudec, Pavel Nejtek (double bass) and many others, as well as by top-ranking quartets such as the Panocha, Janáček, Stamic, Martinů, among others.
Oubrecht's bows can be found in all of the top-ranking Czech and Slovak orchestras, including the Czech and Slovak Philharmonics. They are also used in many orchestras around the world, such as the Bruckner Chamber Orchestra, Linz, the Blue Danube Violins, Portland, and the Stuttgart Radio Orchestra, where, among others, Božo Paradžik, the internationally renowned double bass player, is using an Oubrecht bow. In 1997, Yehudi Menuhin performed with an Oubrecht bow in Switzerland. Oubrecht has exhibited his bows in Cremona, Mittenwald, Frankfurt am Main, Valencia and Prague.
He is among the most important Czech personalities at the turn of the 20th century in "Who is Who".
Oubrecht creates bows to his own design for all string instruments - octagonal, round, with an ebony, ivory or tortoise-shell frog, silver or gold mounted. Custom-made engraved frogs with original motifs are also made. He respects the individual requirements of musicians for the aesthetic and functional qualities of bows. He repairs and restores old bows. Oubrecht bows are valued for their elegant design and playing qualities.
Oubrecht,Milan
