Adolphe Sax
Antoine-Joseph Sax was born on 6 November 1814, in Dinant, in what is now Belgium, to Charles-Joseph Sax and his wife. While his given name was Antoine-Joseph, he was referred to as Adolphe from childhood. His father and mother were instrument designers themselves, who made several changes to the design of the French horn. Adolphe began to make his own instruments at an early age, entering two of his flutes and a clarinet into a competition at the age of 15. He subsequently studied performance on those two instruments as well as voice at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.
Karl Mache
Karl Mache was born in , then a small industrial town a short distance to the west of Breslau, as Wrocław was known till 1944/45. Very little is known of his early years. He attended junior and middle school in Breslau between 1886 and 1894. He trained for work in the bakery and confectionery sector and worked as a baker's assistant in various places in central Germany. He was also active in the trades union movement, serving as chairman of the Breslau branch of the Bakers' Association between 1900 and 1908. In 1901 Mache joined the Social Democratic Party (""Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands"" / SPD).