Joseph Oktavec
b. 1875 · Bohemian (Kasojovitz, Bohemia); emigrated to the United States
Biography
Joseph Oktavec was born at Kasojovitz, Bohemia, in 1875, and came with his parents to New York in 1887. After two years of public school to learn English, he apprenticed as a piano maker, mastering case and sound board construction before perfecting himself in higher branches of the craft. Described as a born musician with his own conception of piano building, he partnered with J. George Laffargue in 1896 to form Laffargue and Oktavec. Progress was slow and marked by disappointment, but demand for the firm's pianos steadily grew. The business was incorporated in 1904 as Laffargue and Company, with Laffargue as president and business manager and Oktavec as vice-president in charge of manufacturing. After Laffargue's death in 1906, Oktavec continued in the business, which the text says he remained zealous to improve.
Highlights
- Born in Kasojovitz, Bohemia, in 1875; emigrated with his parents to New York in 1887
- Formed the partnership of Laffargue and Oktavec in 1896 after mastering case, sound board, and other branches of piano making
- Served as vice-president in charge of manufacturing after the firm incorporated as Laffargue and Company in 1904
Source
Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. II (1913), pp. 132, 133.
Public domain.