{"id":1427,"date":"2020-04-29T13:48:19","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T11:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.donat-mouthpiece.com\/?page_id=1427"},"modified":"2026-03-27T09:33:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T08:33:06","slug":"the-workshop","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.donat-mouthpiece.com\/en\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"

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SONIC JEWELS<\/h3><\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

At the Donat Workshop<\/strong>, a mouthpiece is never a simple accessory:
it is a small sonic jewel<\/strong>, crafted with the precision of a goldsmith<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Each model is born from meticulous work on the material<\/strong>:
the volumes, the internal curves, the transitions, the balances that guide the vibration without resistance, without constraint.
We seek a precise, finely crafted object<\/strong>, capable of accompanying the musician naturally \u2014 as if the mouthpiece were an extension of their gesture<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Our mouthpieces are conceived as singular pieces<\/strong>, where the material becomes music and where the breath finds its space.<\/p>\n

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A VISION OF COMFORT<\/h3><\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text css=””]
\nDimitri designs and turns each mouthpiece with a simple idea:
a good mouthpiece is one you can forget.<\/p>\n

To achieve this, he works with extremely smooth lines, precise yet never aggressive rims, and balanced cups that allow the musician to play for a long time, without tension or forcing.
Everything must feel comfortable and natural, allowing the musician to focus on what truly matters: intention, sound, and music.<\/p>\n

Unlike very deep mouthpieces or those that feel immediately flattering \u2014 giving a lot right away but costing dearly in endurance \u2014 Dimitri always seeks a lasting balance<\/strong>: between ease of playing, endurance, freedom in the upper register, and stability in the air column.<\/p>\n

A Donat mouthpiece is not made to impress on the first breath: it is made to last, to accompany, and to remain consistent<\/strong>, from the first note to the last.
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FEELING YOUR MOUTHPIECE<\/h3><\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text css=””]
\nAt the Donat Workshop<\/strong>, we believe that a mouthpiece must be felt before it is chosen<\/strong>.
It is a sensory object<\/strong>: a technical piece, yes, but also an intimate one<\/strong>, which must resonate with the musician\u2019s own way of breathing, vibrating, and moving within the sound.<\/p>\n

A right mouthpiece<\/strong> is not only the one that works technically<\/em>:
it is the one that naturally extends the vibration<\/strong>, the one that disappears and lets the musician\u2019s musicality emerge<\/strong>, without effort, tension, or constraint.<\/p>\n

This is why we have created a fifteen-day premium trial<\/strong>: musicians can try our mouthpieces at home<\/strong>, in their own environment, with their instrument, their references, and their way of playing.
A mouthpiece is an object of sensation<\/strong>: it requires time, listening, and a relationship that builds over the days.<\/p>\n

Because it is within this time of feeling<\/strong> that the true instrumental encounter<\/strong> is born.
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A FRENCH MOUTHPIECE<\/h3><\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text css=””]
\nThe Donat Workshop<\/strong> is located in the heart of the French Alps<\/strong>, in Th\u00f4nes<\/strong>, between Annecy<\/strong> and La Clusaz<\/strong>.
It is here that each mouthpiece is designed, turned, and polished<\/strong> \u2014 work entirely carried out in France, in a workshop where every step is carefully mastered.<\/p>\n

Our raw material<\/strong> comes from the Arve Valley<\/strong>, a historic territory of precision turning, only a few kilometers from the workshop. This proximity ensures consistent quality<\/strong> and a short, precise, and coherent manufacturing chain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Here, in the Alps<\/strong>, we shape sonic jewels<\/strong> rooted in a French territory and craftsmanship<\/strong>.
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DIMITRI DONAT \u2013 THE PORTRAIT<\/h3><\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text css=””]
\nDimitri Donat<\/strong> is the creator of the Donat<\/strong> brand.
Born in 1983, a trained trumpeter and passionate jazz musician, he developed a deep relationship with music at an early age.<\/p>\n

He began playing trumpet in the brass band of his village, Mont-Saxonnex<\/strong>, before joining the Geneva Conservatory<\/strong> in 1997, in the class of Mario Alberti<\/strong>.
There he developed a demanding ear, later enriched through several summers at Jazz in Marciac<\/strong>, where he attended classes and masterclasses with Airelle Besson<\/strong>, Wynton Marsalis<\/strong>, and many major jazz musicians.<\/p>\n

Dimitri played for twelve years<\/strong> with the Scionzier Big Band<\/strong>, a formative experience.
Today he performs in two groups:<\/p>\n

a New Orleans band in Annecy<\/strong>, which notably appears at the open-stage festival Vivre et Raisonne<\/em>,<\/p>\n

and a jazz improvisation quartet<\/strong>, where he explores a freer and more intimate approach to sound.<\/p>\n

He also continues to attend jam sessions whenever possible<\/strong>, maintaining an essential connection with the stage and improvisation.<\/p>\n

Alongside his musical path, Dimitri trained in precision turning (d\u00e9colletage)<\/strong> from childhood, working alongside his father.
He grew up in this environment where parts are turned, shaped and measured to the hundredth of a millimeter<\/strong> \u2014 a historic craft of the Arve Valley<\/strong>, passed down from generation to generation.
He later deepened this foundation with a BTS in Microtechnical Design & Industrialization<\/strong>, followed by a degree in Product and Process Quality<\/strong>.
This dual culture \u2014 musical and technical \u2014<\/strong> became the foundation of his work as a craftsman.<\/p>\n

Today, Dimitri produces all his mouthpieces on CNC machines<\/strong>, turning each model in a single phase<\/strong>, without ever losing the initial reference point \u2014 a method that guarantees perfect coaxiality, stable geometry, and rare acoustic precision<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Over the years, the Donat Workshop<\/strong> has grown around him: a place where welcoming musicians, testing, dialogue, research, finishing, and showcasing the work<\/strong> are now shared by several people.
Dimitri continues to design and machine each geometry, but he is no longer alone: the workshop has become a team, a shared space, a collective energy dedicated to creating high-end sonic jewels<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

His goal has remained the same since the first day:
to offer every musician a mouthpiece that allows them to play with greater freedom.<\/strong>
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