Bowmaker and Double Bassist Steve Reiley has Died, Aged 74

The master luthier crafted 42 basses and about 100 bows, with Mstislav Rostropovich and Yo-Yo Ma among his clients

Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, American bowmaker and double bassist Steve Reiley studied at Western Michigan University and then the University of Michigan, eventually graduating with a master's degree in double bass. In 1974, he took a position as the Assistant Principal Bass in the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, which he was to hold until 1981.

In 1978, Reiley and Philip Greenberg opened a business that they named The Guarneri Violin Shop. It was later renamed to Guarneri House. Over the course of his career as a luthier, Reiley crafted 42 basses and about 100 bows, many of which have been played on by major artists — among them the cellist Lynn Harrell.

Reiley's son, Aaron Reiley, is also a master bass maker and took over the ownership of Guarneri House in 2014.

"The double bass community has lost a giant," said Joseph Conyers. the principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra. "What I will remember most about him was his welcoming and kind spirit, particularly during my tenure in Grand Rapids. I knew from the moment I walked into that warm old mansion that was Guarneri House nearly 20 years ago that I had found a new bass home."

Our condolences to Reiley's family, friends, and colleagues.