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Benoît Rolland makes bows for violin, viola and cello. He listens to musicians individually and to their instrument, designing each bow for a specific playing style and sound. He evolved the classical bow and redesigned the conductor baton.
Benoît Marie Rolland (born 12 September 1954 Paris), is a bow maker and musician, currently established in Boston, Massachusetts. An internationally renowned bow maker, he is a 2012 MacArthur Fellow [1] and a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (2017).
As the first maker to develop carbon-fiber bows with a playability rivaling pernambuco wood, Benoît Rolland led the field towards a deeper understanding of the carbon’s potential, and was part of the International Symposium of Physics of the Music, in Washington DC, 2005.
An artist as well as a bow expert, Benoît Rolland values the tradition of beauty in fine historical bows. Galliane and Galliane 441 and are two modern designs, whose pure lines complement the timeless elegance of the bow. Galliane is Benoît Rolland's avant-garde design with a geometrical ferrule.
Benoit Rolland acknowledges that the violin reigns supreme as the star of the strings, capable of fetching millions of dollars at auction. But what about the bow?
For over 37 years, French master bow maker Benoît Rolland has created bows for the finest musicians including Anne-Sophie Mutter, Christian Tetzlaff and Julia Fischer. Benoît Rolland designs each bow with a specific playing style and sound in mind.
French bow maker trained in Mirecourt by Bernard Ouchard. Worked in Paris then the Island of Bréhat. Established in Boston, USA, since 2001 and become a MacArthur Fellow in 2012. Received the distinctions Maitre d’Art in 1983, Chevalier des Arts & des Lettres in 2017.
