Current and selected publications from my work and from the International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative (IPCI). Previous issues of pernambuco are listed below in the complete archive.
Between Rainforest and Concert Hall
Forthcoming in fall 2026.
Thomas M. Gerbeth · Anke Gerbeth
Pernambuco in Stringed-Instrument Bow Making: Historical Use, Ecological Responsibility, and Sustainable Prospects
This new publication connects the history of pernambuco and stringed-instrument bow making with questions of material suitability, craftsmanship, species conservation, and sustainable prospects.
Metas – Visões – Ações · Goals – Visions – Actions
25 Years of the International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative
This anniversary book documents IPCI’s work from its beginnings to its current conservation, research, and planting projects. It contains texts in German, Portuguese, English, and French and comprises 152 pages.
The print edition can be ordered directly from IPCI Deutschland e.V. After costs are deducted, €100 per book goes toward IPCI projects as a voluntary donation.
PDF Edition in Exchange for a Donation to IPCI
The complete PDF edition is also available for download. We ask for a donation to support IPCI’s work in return.
IPCI Journal – Issue 1
IPCI Journal · First German-Language Issue
The first German-language issue of the IPCI Journal covers IPCI itself, the “Planting Water” project, and the “Strings of the World” benefit concert, among other topics.
Archive · pernambuco
Previous issues of the specialist publication pernambuco remain available as PDFs.
Issue 1
Contents of issue 1:
- The Frog – Origins and Purpose
- His Bows Produce a Wonderful Sound – Company Profile in the Bürges-Förderungsbank’s 1998 Annual Report
- Making a Modern Stringed-Instrument Bow – Part 1
- The Violinists Wilhelm Cramer and Giovanni Battista Viotti
Issue 1 is unfortunately out of print.
Issue 2
Contents of issue 2:
- Bow Hair
- The Bow from 1770 to 1800
- Making a Modern Stringed-Instrument Bow – Part 2
- Thomas M. Gerbeth Receives the 1999 Walter Nettig Award
Issue 2 is unfortunately out of print.
Issue 3
Contents of issue 3:
- Bow Camber – The Secret to Playing Characteristics?
- Thomas M. Gerbeth on His Participation in the Third International Violin and Bow Making Competition in Paris
- Making a Modern Stringed-Instrument Bow – Part 3
- Interactions Between the Development of Violin Technique and Innovations in Bow Making Since 1900
Issue 3 is unfortunately out of print.
Issue 4
Contents of issue 4:
- To Copy or Not to Copy – Working with the Heritage of Bow Making
- New Viennese Violins 2005 – An Interview with Cellist Martin Hornstein
- Making a Modern Stringed-Instrument Bow – Part 4
- The Spread of the Bow in Europe and Its Development up to the 16th Century
Please email us to place an order.
Issue 5
Contents of issue 5:
- Less Is More! – The Art of Determining the Right Amount of Bow Hair
- Pernambuco in Conversation with Master Violin Makers Kerstin Hoffmann and Claudia Rook
- Making a Modern Stringed-Instrument Bow – Final Part
- Tone Production – An Interplay of Movement and Flexibility
Please email us to place an order.
Special Issue
Published for IPCI’s benefit concert
