About Bryan Campbell
A biography written by Bryan’s dear cousin extraordinaire Jillian Hauf.
It was an early Itzhak Perlman recording of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto that introduced the young Bryan Campbell to the violin. Listening attentively from the backseat, he told his mother he wanted to play the instrument he was hearing on the radio. Bryan soon began taking lessons, and it wasn't long until he was assisting with teaching the string program at Holland Hall where he was, at the time, a student himself.
To continue to nurture Bryan's fascination with the violin, his mother took him to visit the newly opened Tulsa Violin Shop in 1996. It was there where he met Lou Lynch, the proprietor, who noticed that Bryan showed a particular interest in the bow, or "the stick" as Lou affectionately refers to it.
Lou invited Bryan to work in the Tulsa Violin Shop under an apprenticeship that would span over many years. With careful instruction by Lou and Phil Wachowski, Bryan rehaired his first violin bow. Recognizing a burgeoning talent in Bryan, Lou enrolled him in a bowmaking and restoration course under Lynn Hannings. Although Bryan had never before sharpened or used a plane blade, he completed his first bow in two weeks time. It was Bryan's third bow that Lou took to Paris for critique by the renowned expert Bernard Millant. After close examination, Mr. Millant asserted that Bryan's work rivaled that of some of his own previous students. Over the next decade Bryan was fortunate to study and certify rare French bows under the tutelage of Mr. Millant in his Paris workshop.
Today Bryan is recognized as one of the Bay Area's expert luthiers for bowmaking, rehairing, and restoration. He has established his own practice with a clientele of over 3,000 musicians built by word of mouth. His clients include musicians from all major orchestras in the area, the San Francisco Symphony, and traveling musicians and Orchestras from across the world. Bryan continues to remain in partnership with his dear friend and mentor Lou Lynch. Together they work to connect rare instruments with the finest musicians. Bryan stamps all his new bows with his original iron stamp with the engraving of “TVS” for the Tulsa Violin shop as an homage to the establishment he began his work. He resides in San Francisco with his husband and two pugs, Ginger and Olive.