CHRISTOPHER GRAVES is a bow maker and cellist. For ten years he was cellist of the Castalian Quartet, with whom he played frequently at many of the world's major music venues and festivals - Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Konzerthaus Vienna, Berlin Philharmonie, Philharmonie de Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Aldeburgh Festival, and many others. Since he left the quartet he has dedicated himself to the art of bow making, which he studied with Gary Leahy.

 

Inspired by his first-hand knowledge of the formidable demands the string repertoire makes of musicians and their instruments, he endeavours to create bows that meet those demands. Many of his bows are in the hands of eminent musicians around the world. 

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He makes all his bows entirely by hand, using high quality traditional materials, at his workshop in Queen's Park, North London.

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"As a bow maker who comes from a playing background, I take my lead from the bow makers of the past who inspire me most as a player - Tourte, Peccatte, Persoit, Pajeot, Grand Adam, among others from the early days of the modern bow. Studying bows by these craftsmen informs my approach to bow making both from the playing and the aesthetic points of view, however my most important influence by far is the relationship I have with the musicians of today - the people who use bows every day to bring music alive and communicate with the public on stages around the world.

 

Each player has an individual relationship with their bow, and I often consult with a musician to design a bow which will meet their needs and bring the best out of their instrument. Listening to a player play and describe what they are looking for, and then translating that into information I can use as a maker, is where my many years of playing chamber music at a high level come in useful. My experience is that when musician, bow and instrument are a good match, the bow and instrument can seem to disappear in the hands, and communication with the audience can be as direct as speaking or singing."

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