| Patricola Brothers | |
| Genre: | instrument makers |
| Foundation: | 1976 |
| Location City: | Castelnuovo Scrivia, Italy |
| Key People: | Francesco, Pietro and Biagio Patricola |
| Products: | Clarinets (Boehm system), Oboes |
| Num Employees: | 9 |
Fratelli Patricola (Patricola Brothers) is an Italian company producing oboes and clarinets since 1976, based in Castelnuovo Scrivia in the Province of Alessandria.
The brothers Francesco, Pietro and Biagio Patricola, woodwind instrument makers, founded their own workshop in 1976 for the production of oboes and clarinets.[1] [2] Two sons and a grandson are also working as instrument builders in the family business.[3]
Patricola make oboes and clarinets from the woods of Grenadilla (Dalbergia melanoxylon) and Bubinga (Guibourtia tessmannii), aged for up to 12 years, and with silver-plated or optionally gold-plated key work.[1] The woodworking is done with the help of CNC machines, while the hand-made key work is manufactured in-house.[4] About 75% of the manufacturing is done by hand.[1]
Oboes are made in student, semi-professional and professional grades, and the oboe d'amore, cor anglais, and oboe musette in E♭ are also produced. Clarinets are offered as "Virtuoso" semi-professional and "Artista" professional models using the French (Boehm) fingering system in B♭ and A, with options for Full Boehm fingering and a low E♭ key. A clarinet in C and a sopranino in E♭ are also made.
Patricola instruments are distributed globally and played by well-known oboists and clarinetists in orchestras in Italy and throughout the world.[5]