A Dream Come True

Alfredo Clemente, born in Monfalcone, Italy, completed his foundational violin studies at the Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello in Venice.

In 1984 he came to Germany for advanced studies with Prof. Saschko Gawriloff and Prof. Igor Ozim at Cologne’s Musikhochschule. He then studied viola with Prof. Rainer Schmidt at the Mannheim Musikhochschule, after which he played as an apprentice and regular substitute with the orchestra of the Frankfurt opera house as well as orchestras in Mönchengladbach, Cologne and Wuppertal.

Alongside his musical activities Alfredo Clemente had always taken a keen interest in the bows and string instruments themselves. And so, after his music studies, he determined to train as a bow-maker with Benoit Rolland in Paris, and went on to pass his CAP exams in Mirecourt, France. In 1993 Clemente opened his atelier for bows and string instruments in the Ehrenfeld quarter of Cologne.

In early 2005 the atelier moved across town to its present location. Here, in the Machabäerstr. 56, near the Rhine and just around the corner from his alma mater, Alfredo Clemente has come full circle: his first student digs was a little garret room in the very same imposing historical building that now houses his own prestigious business premises. It is indeed a dream come true.

Alfredo Clemente is a member of Eben!Holz e.V., a non-profit association dedicated to the protection of endangered woods used musical instrument making.

The long-term goal of the organization is to promote fair trade and sustainable forestry practices, enabling local people to generate an income, while raising awareness of the fundamental value of nature.