Rudolph Meinl, Sr.

Rudolf Meinl, Sr. Was born on July 25, 1939 in Silberbach, near Graslitz, Bohemia. In 1945, his family was driven from their homeland and resettled with other wind instrument craftsmen in Central Franconia. He grew up there in Neuebersbach and later in Neustadt an Der Aisch. His father, a Graslitz instrument maker, built a self contained factory in which all parts for all Brasswind instruments were made. The emphasis then, as now, was on tubas.

Herr Meinl completed his early schooling in 1954 and became an apprentice Brasswind instrument maker o his father, Rudolf Meinl. In 1957, he passed his journeyman’s examination and continued working with his father before serving in the Deutsche Bundeswehr from 1959 until 1961. On November 4, 1961, he married Emma Frohwieser. Together they raised three children: Rudolf Jr. (born 1962), Renate (born 1963), and Karin (born 1968).

Rudolf Meinl, Sr. passed his Master’s Examination (Meisterprüfung) on November 11, 1966. His life’s work has centered around the development and refinement of a full line of bass tubas, contrabass tubas, and cimbassi in all keys and sizes. From time to time, he has built helicons in the keys of F, CC and BB-flat, as well. He is the only manufacturer who offers professional quality hand fabricated bass and contrabass tubas in all relevant keys and sizes, which makes him a quite unique individual in the tuba manufacturing industry. His family of cimbassi led to widespread use of this voice in concert and opera orchestras the world over.

-2014 International Tuba Euphonium Conference Program

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