Douglas C. Cox (born 1948) is a contemporary American violinmaker. He has been building instruments since 1981, and has made over 1000 violins, violas and cellos. Cox received his early training at the State Violin Making School in Mittenwald, Germany. He spent ten years as head of the repair department and chief restorer for the firm of J. Bradley Taylor, Inc. in Boston before establishing his own studio in Brattleboro,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

in 1985. His instruments have received awards from The Violin Society of America, and are owned and played by many professional musicians, including classical players

Jaime Laredo Jaime Laredo (born June 7, 1941) is an American violinist and Conducting, conductor. He was the conductor and music director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, and began his musical career when he was five years old. Laredo was born in Cochabamb ...

, Daniel Panner, James Buswell, the late Eric Rosenblith, the late Marylou Speaker Churchill of the

Boston Symphony The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, the BSO perfor ...

, and the late Robert Koff of the Juilliard Quartet; jazz and contemporary players such as Todd Reynolds,

Ralph Farris Ralph Farris (born Ralph Howard Farris, Jr., 1970) is an American violist, violinist, composer, arranger, producer and conductor, best known as a founding member and artistic director of the ensemble ETHEL. Farris is an electric string player w ...

Mat Maneri Mat Maneri (born October 4, 1969) is an American composer, violin, and viola player. He is the son of the saxophonist Joe Maneri and Sonja Maneri. Career Maneri has recorded with Cecil Taylor, Guerino Mazzola, Matthew Shipp, Joe Morris, G ...

Eugene Friesen Eugene Friesen (born 1952) is an American cellist and composer. Early life Friesen was born in 1952 to Russian Mennonite parents. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Music. Career Friesen has been a member of the Paul Winter Consort since ...

; baroque players such as Laura Jeppeson and Daniel Stepner of Boston Baroque, and by such institutions as

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

Oberlin Conservatory The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a private music conservatory of Oberlin College, a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1865 and is the second oldest conservatory and oldest continually operating conservatory in ...

, Ravinia Festival's Steans Institute, the

United States Marine Band The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11, 1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands and the oldest professional musical organization in the ...

University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...

, the

National Music Museum The National Music Museum: America's Shrine to Music & Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments (NMM) is a musical instrument museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States. It was founded in 1973 on the campus of the Univers ...

, and

Lawrence University Lawrence University is a Private college, private liberal arts college and Music school, conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second colle ...

Many of his instruments are close copies of unusual and noteworthy master instruments. Techniques he uses to analyze the acoustic properties of violins include audio spectrum analysis, density testing, and materials modification. His publications include: “The Baroque Violin” and “Copying the Harrison Stradivari.”''Journal of the Violin Society of America'' XI.3 (1992) 83-112.

Footnotes

References

Brattleboro Reformer The ''Brattleboro Reformer'' is the third-largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Vermont. With a weekday circulation of just over 10,000, it is behind the ''Burlington Free Press'' and the ''Rutland Herald'', respectively. It publishes six ...

, January 19–20, 2008 Photo Journal, “King of String” Brattleboro Reformer, October 24, 2008 “Local violin maker recognized by Windham County Arts Council” Northern Woodlands Magazine, Winter 2002 “Sonatas in Spruce; Minuets in Maple” The Deerfield Valley News, July 23, 1997 “Work is music to violin maker’s ears”

External links

Cox Violins Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Douglass American luthiers Bowed string instrument makers People from Brattleboro, Vermont 1948 births Living people