Paul Childs (courtesy Bérit Schumann)

Paul Childs, 77, a violinist and a world-renowned expert on bows, died on Sept. 21, 2024. He had first joined Local 802 in 1972. Tributes appeared to Mr. Childs in the Strad and Cozio Carteggio newsletters, and below Allegro offers a personal tribute by Local 802 member Sandra Robbins, a longtime friend and colleague of Mr. Childs.

The day we left NYC for Paris to attend Mondomusica in Cremona, Italy — Sept. 21, 2024 — we lost a dear friend in our lives, Paul Childs.

Paul was known internationally as a connoisseur and expert on French bows. But to many of us string players in Local 802, he is remembered first and foremost as a performing violinist.

Paul was born in 1947 in Ponca City, a small town in Oklahoma. He studied violin, went to the University of Oklahoma, then earned a master’s degree in violin performance at the Manhattan School of Music. For decades, he freelanced with many young aspiring string players (like myself) who later joined major orchestras, became esteemed teachers and continued freelancing.

Paul developed a special friendship at the Manhattan School of Music with future superstar violinist Elmar Oliveira (who later became my life partner) that led to the formation of a string quartet in 1974 with Elmar, Paul, myself as violist, and cellist Steven Stalker, a former student of Bernard Greenhouse. Both Paul and Steve hailed from Oklahoma.

Paul Childs during his freelance days, circa 1970’s

How did the quartet begin? It happened in 1973, between a matinee and evening Broadway show of “Irene” (starring Debbie Reynolds) where Elmar and Paul were in the pit . After a few libations, Paul and Elmar convinced me to call the Aspen Music Festival and inform them I would not be attending that summer. Instead, I read the classical piano quartet and quintet chamber music repertoire and drank expertly made Harvey Wallbangers created by mixologist Paul Childs! We decided we would form a quartet a year later when Steve finished an orchestra season out West.

Our group (which we named the Ysayë Quartet) was short lived, but it started strong. We had heard about a program in Binghamton, New York, for young professional string quartets run by the Lenox Quartet. After a few rehearsals, we put together a movement of the Brahms A minor quartet and drove up to Binghamton to audition. All our lives changed. We spent 1974 to 1975 rehearsing, performing, playing in many community groups and teaching at SUNY Geneseo in upstate New York. I remember endlessly rehearsing Brahms, Glazunov Novelettes, Beethoven Opus 18 and Opus 74, Bartok #6 and much more. These memories linger.

The Ysayë Quartet during the 1974-1975 season. From left: Elmar Oliveira (standing), Sandra Robbins, Steven Stalker and Paul Childs (standing).

I think it was just before our quartet days and during the Broadway run of “Irene” that Paul saw an ad in Local 802’s Allegro magazine that led him to the law office of Harry Gilgulin, a prominent criminal lawyer in Brooklyn who had a love of the violin. Harry loved to buy and sell violins and bows. I remember standing in Harry’s law office in awe as he opened file cabinets full of violins! And his huge law desk had drawers filled not with office supplies but sound posts, bridges, violin tools and adjusters.

I believe these visits cemented Paul’s interest in violins and bows and subsequently hooked Elmar and myself on the aesthetics of this world that was connected to all of us. For Paul, freelancing gave way to research, expertise, and commerce in the bow trade. We began to think of the possibilities of upgrading our equipment and making a little money to pay our rents while in NYC by buying and selling bows and instruments.

Paul’s later accomplishments as a connoisseur of fine French bows, wine, culinary delights and sartorial splendor matched his thirst for researching historical knowledge in his decades of study and detective work, resulting in many erudite publications shining light on unknown knowledge in the French bow world. Many beautiful articles about him appeared in important international publications in the past few months that give a taste of how much respect he garnered in the violin world.

Of note are a profile of Paul written by Jason Price (the co-proprietor of Tarisio fine auction house) and an article in Strad magazine. There was also a beautiful personal tribute written by his good friend, the American violin maker Greg Alf, which I can send to those who want to read it.

Many of Paul’s friends and colleagues (including myself) attended a beautiful memorial service held in April 2025 in a private club on the Upper East Side. The guests included many luminaries in the violin and bow world, representing shops nationally and internationally. Several musicians in attendance as well as other longtime members of the AFM gave me recollections of Paul that I would like to share below.

Regis Iandiorio, a well known NYC violinist freelancer in the classical and commercial music fields, told me, “I remember Paul’s many years as principal second violin of the New York Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. He was a first class violinist and a wonderful colleague.”

Erica Kiesewetter, a full time violin violin professor and director of orchestral studies at Bard College, said, “Paul was a very beautiful musician and player, and very eager to do the best job possible.”

Tom Shaw of Audubon Quartet fame that also had its beginnings in Binghamton (in the same unique program that started the Manhattan Quartet, the Kronos Quartet and our short-lived Ysayë Quartet), wrote this: “My memory of Paul was as a member of the Ysayë Quartet and your performance of Bartok #6 quartet. No particular places, except for the beautiful viola opening.”

Gwen Heller, a longtime violinist and a member of Local 802 and Local 47 (Los Angeles), told me, “I first knew Paul as a fellow student of Raphael Bronstein at the Manhattan School of Music and as a professional violinist. He was a fine musician , a friend, and an absolute joy to have known.The music world is now diminished, and I am deeply saddened by his loss.”

Mary Reynolds, a violinist in the Dallas Symphony and a lifelong member of Local 72-147 (Dallas-Ft. Worth), told me, “Paul had an elegant tone and wonderful blending in the quartet as second violinist in the Ysayë Quartet in the Binghamton Young Artists Program. I recall a splendid Debussy quartet on campus at SUNY and loved how his concept of ensemble playing was never overplayed, yet strong when needed.” (Mary herself was a member of the same quartet program that Elmar, Paul and I were part of. Mary was the first violinist of the Acadia Quartet, then of the Griffes Quartet.)

And I loved the wonderful remembrance of Paul from Judy Geist, the first woman ever to become a member of the esteemed viola section of the Philadelphia orchestra. A longtime member of Local 802 and Philadelphia’s Local 77, Judy said, ‘‘I met Paul in Binghamton around 1975. We participated in this unique program at SUNY Binghamton that involved four string quartets, each assigned to hold a residency at a nearby college. Some of the quartet musicians moved on to NYC, a vibrant cultural playground with lots of gigs and ensemble opportunities for freelancers. I was fortunate to play in practically everything,including the hit Broadway show called ‘On the 20th Century,’ starring Imogene Coca, Madeline Kahn, John Cullum and Kevin Kline. The concertmaster, who for some reason (bad temper?) departed soon after the show opened. He needed to be replaced. I recommended Paul. Paul played with a reserved elegance, consistent with his demeanor. He was poised, pleasant and professional. In appearance, I can still see him dressed in a sporty jacket, curly hair topping his tall frame. He was cultured, curious, funny, and friendly, soft spoken with a slight accent revealing his Oklahoma origin.”

At Paul’s service, many tributes were read from musicians, friends, violin and bow dealers from around the globe, most noting how Paul’s life was filled with music, friends and family, good food and libations, violins and bows. His decades of study, detective work, and publishing of many books and articles made him a shining light forward in the violin bow world.

The formal part of the service ended by enriching our souls with some of the music that Paul himself loved: recordings of the third movement of the Bach G minor sonata played by his good friend Arnold Steinhardt, and the Paganini Cantabile played by Elmar Oliveira. The service ended with Elmar’s recording of the beautiful Andante of Bach’s Concerto in A minor performed with the ARCO Ensemble composed of top New York string players.

Paul is survived by his wife and muse Bérit Schumann and his son Karl Childs, who is following in his father’s large footsteps.

Violist Sandra Robbins has been a member of Local 802 since 1968. Sandra welcomes questions or comments at sr@violabows.com.