Klaus Grünke cello bow

German bow maker and restorer Klaus Grünke is among the most esteemed bow authorities in the world today. Grünke began studying in 1975 with his father, Richard Grünke (b. 1930), who had studied in H. R. Pfretzschner's famous Markneukirchen workshop from 1946 to 1948. After working with Hans Weisshaar in Los Angeles from 1980 to 1982, Klaus returned to Bubenreuth to work with his father and brother, Thomas Grünke, also a bow maker. In 1996, the Grünkes founded the company Richard Grünke & Söhne, where they restore and build bows for clients all over the world.

Klaus Grünke developed his own bow models based on Dominique Peccatte, François Nicolas Voirin, and more recently, Nikolai Kittel. His bows have won the highest honors in international competitions, and he has served on the jury of numerous competitions. He is a member of Verband Deutscher Geigenbauer und Bogenmacher, Entente Internationale de Luthiers et Archetiers, and is a founding member of the International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative (IPCI).

In the year 2000, Grünke collaborated with colleagues C. Hans Karl Schmidt and Wolfgang Zunterer to write and publish the encyclopedia "German Bow Makers." Grünke also co-authored the book "The Bows of Nikolai Kittel," published in 2011 with colleagues Josef Gabriel and Yung Chin.