All bows articles
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News
US bow expert and author Paul Childs has died
The well-known connoisseur of French bows, whose monumental work on François Xavier Tourte was published in 2023, was 77 years old
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Review
Book review: Tourte
Philip Kass reviews the long-awaited volume on the most important bow maker who ever lived
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Video
How to pick a violin bow with Ray Chen
Ray Chen and Joel Link blind test a selection of bows and give their thoughts on playability and sound
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News
American bow maker and double bassist Steve Reiley dies
The veteran of the Grand Rapids Symphony was 74 years old
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News
UK ivory ban comes into force
As of 6 June, anything made of or containing ivory must be registered before a sale in Britain
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Focus
The Doric Quartet on switching to Classical bows
In this extract from their cover story in the August 2018 issue of The Strad, the British quartet discusses how a recent experiment with Classical bows has taken the players’ musicianship to new heights. Interview by Toby Deller
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Review
Book review: The German Bow: A study exhibit of German bow making
Bow maker Matt Wehling reviews the latest publication from the Violin Society of America
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Feature
How one great family shaped a century of French bow making
Mirecourt’s Émile Auguste Ouchard and his son Bernard are regarded as among the 20th century’s finest bow makers, main characters in a family who created a distinctive style of stick. Writing in The Strad’s December issue, Thomas Martin, Andrew McGill, Martin Lawrence and George Martin focus on Ouchard double bass ...
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Article
A cello quartet with one cello
Four members of the Wiener Cello Ensemble 5+1 perform Ravel's Bolero on a single instrument to great comic effect. Watch: Music teacher loses temper with violinist – with destructive results
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Blogs
10 tips for buying a new bow
Are you considering upgrading to a better bow but not sure where to start? Violinist and bow maker Mariia Gorkun gives practical advice on how to go about choosing the right bow for you and your instrument – Register for free to read
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News
Bernard Millant collection goes under the hammer
Vichy Enchères to auction 127 lots belonging to leading French bow maker who died earlier this year
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Focus
The titanium frog - a violinist and a luthier compare notes on the innovation
Violinist Peter Herresthal and luthier Christophe Landon recall how a performance of Kaija Saariaho’s Graal théâtre led to the debut of a new titanium bow frog
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Article
Remembering Bernard Millant 1929–2017
The esteemed bow maker, dealer, author and expert died in April aged 87. Jean-François Raffin, who worked with Millant and co-authored the celebrated three-volume work L'Archet with him, remembers his friend and colleague
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News
Rare Hill bows go on show in Oxford
Exhibition dedicated to celebrated British workshop W.E. Hill & Sons opens at university museum
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Article
Quebec violin students perform Star Wars theme with lightsaber bows
Students from the École de l'Harmonie in Quebec perform John Williams's Star Wars theme with lightsaber bows in December 2015. The bows were made using LEDs by violin teacher Philippe Amyot. 'Balancing the bows was hard work for the children because of the added weight,' he said.Watch: John ...
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News
New permanent exhibition of instrument bows opens in Budapest
Almost 30 Hungarian makers past and present are represented in museum display
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Blogs
The British bow: a rough guide to dating and development
Luthier Jacob Saunders tracks the evolution of 18th- and early 19th-century bows, creating a downloadable guide as a resource for other makers and researchers
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Focus
What happened at the 2013 China International Violin and Bow Making Competition
With an array of experts in attendance, Beijing's international violin and bow making competition was an engrossing affair. Nancy Pellegrini hears a range of views on the industry, and China's growing position within it
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Debate
Embrace the difference
Luthiers often have more experience than players of Baroque instruments and bows. So, says US bow maker David Hawthorne, they should be fearless in producing authentic equipment to enlighten and inform
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Blogs
Gordan Nikolitch talks bows
The violinist revealed a passion bordering on obsession for bows in conversation with Ariane Todes