1963 - Frederic Boyer cutting the FF
Tribute to Frederic Boyer, Violin maker Master by Claudine Petiot
2004 - The company Boyer 46 rue de Rome
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Born in Prague on January 14, 1926, with the French nationality, Frederic Boyer plays the double bass. He is from a family of musicians. His step-father Fernand Benedetti is a cellist at the Comic Opera, his half brother Rene Benedetti, also a cellist and soloist at the Opera of Paris.
He goes one day to a violin maker (he is then 16 years old) to have his double bass repaired and there it triggered something in his mind. He asks his step- father if he could join a workshop of string instruments making. We are in 1942 and it is a difficult time. The famous company Roger and Max Millant welcomes him. In the middle of the war under the German occupation and after one year spent in this workshop, he leaves in 1943 to Mirecourt in the Vosges,
Mirecourt is maybe a little calmer than Paris and during nearly 5 years he learns the difficult art of violin making with Master Rene Jacquemin and bow making with Louis Bazin.
He experiences intense moments, as the Liberation. Invaded by the Americans, Mirecourt where the violin makers' life was quite difficult at that time will change suddenly when regular supplies will start again.
It returns to Paris in 1948 where he will be hired by the Enel company. At that time, it is one of the biggest companies of violin making in Paris. With Charles Enel and Pierre Enel (Charles' cousin), he learns how to make violins inspired by the old ones, to restore them and to evaluate them.
This collaboration will unfortunately end with the death of Charles Enel in 1954 but luckily, Mrs Céleste Enel, Charles Enel's wife offers Frederic Boyer to stay at the workshop and to continue to run the company Enel. This transmission is like the succession of a father to a son…
In 1955 birth of son Serge.
Mrs Enel dies in 1960 and the heirs,very kindly, offers Frederic Boyer to buy the company as a whole. We can call this a real succession, because Frederic Boyer preserves the company and especially the workshop in its original state during several tens of years more.
From that time, Frederic Boyer devotes himself to his passions: manufacturing in the inspiration of the former Italian Masters, expertise and the management of his company.
Entre 1960 and 1970, his violins are signed "Frederic Benedetti pupil of Charles Enel, Paris".
Dans les années In the years 1960-1965 we can say a new profession was born, that of the viola player as previously the majority of the viola players were above all violinists. The phenomenon increases, the request for the instruments too. The viola market being very poor, Frederic Boyer decides to only make violas.
He lives this long period until the 90's like true happiness. He permanently has under his bench supplies (back, table and head) in the rough, and when he sees passing a viola, an italian one and preferably of the 18th century, the very same evening, he begins a replica of it, in the way of the painter sketching out a painting on-the-spot.
At that time his life is punctuated in the morning by 2 hours of manufacturing, and as much in the evening. 10 hour days are usual, and each month a viola is made.
Depuis les années Since the 70's, the violin making has known a revival. We should bear in mind that after the second world war, the violin makers of Mirecourt had refused to transmit their art to their descendants, the profession being very difficult and not very remunerative. For lack of young violin makers to take over, Mirecourt will gradually fall asleep counting today only a few violin makers.
The fact remains that throughout his career Frederic Boyer will make more than 200 violas, approximately 50 violins and 5 cellos. Continuing in the tradition of the Enel company, co-founder of the EILA, he will become its member and from the70's will take part to congresses in the United States, in Russia, in Germany… Although preferring like many of violin makers his art to the society life, he will bring back from exhibitions memories of old instruments, discussions with his colleagues, the whole finding expression, viola after viola, in the improvement of his models, his varnishes and of course the tone.
Frederic Boyer never plans any order of instrument. When a musician asks him to reserve a viola for him, his answer is: "I will call you when an instrument will be ready".
A way for no constraints, no imposed colour, no model, nothing, only freedom to create, to improve each instrument according to his inspiration, the creator's true happiness.
At the same time, the company Boyer negotiates a good number of old instruments like Antonio Stradivari, Joseph Guarnérius, Andréa Guarnérius, Nicolas and Hieronymus Amati,… which allows Frederic Boyer to be devoted to his research without too many concerns.
 From his bow making training with Louis Bazin in Mirecourt, he will keep a passion for bows and today, the company Boyer still deals with the negotiation of bows of great value.
In 1981 Serge, his son, comes to share the bench with Frederic who also has the great joy to see his grandson Florent born in 1983, begin his training in Mirecourt in 2003 at Jean-Jacques Pages International School of String instruments making.
A day before leaving us, he gave a lesson of varnishing to his grandson (photo above)
One can say today that the violin making was for him a real passion, the sea being his main hobby.
In 1984 his sonSerge Boyer takes over the company.
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© Serge Boyer - 2007