Portrait
Frantisek Kus is a Czech master luthier based in Ostrov, in the west of the country, making violins, violas and cellos.
He trained under Jan Spidlen and Premysl Otakar Spidlen, from one of the most significant families in Czech violin making. He has taken prizes in international competitions in Cremona, in the United States and in the Czech Republic, and works within the Czech tradition while drawing on classical Italian models.
His instruments are played by professional musicians in central Europe and the United Kingdom.
Kus belongs to a Czech school that is consistently underrated outside its own borders, and his competition record across three countries is the evidence. We have not had one of his instruments in the showroom recently, so the assessment here is deliberately short. Anyone interested should contact us and we will arrange to source one.
Elsewhere
Compare instruments against each other, and against an antique, in a blind test with studio audio. No labels until you have chosen.
Where are František Kůs instruments made?
In Ostrov, Czechia. Every instrument is then set up and checked in our own London workshop before it reaches a player.
