Profile

NinaS_BRP_3388_K_kl
Recreating historical string instruments and bows is the creative heart of my work. Alongside this, I offer repair, bow rehairing and the remodelling of modern (or modernized) string instruments to bring them in line with the baroque ethos.

When building an instrument from scratch, I pay particular attention to relevant historical details; staying true to period sound and playability is also of paramount concern.

Yet the use of gut strings alone does not a historical performance make: what’s needed – over and above musical training – are instruments and bows that not only reflect the style of a given period in their appearance but – crucially – in their performance characteristics. This authentic edge is precisely what my bows and instruments deliver.

A composer’s work can of course be inter­preted with many different bows. But playing with a bow that is purpose-built for a given repertoire means less concentration on producing authentic articulation and phrasing. By virtue of its very nature, the right bow allows the performer to access the music on a higher level. In a recent BBC interview, renowned baroque violinist and luminary Rachel Podger, puts it so: ‘a good bow will teach you what to do!’

After the (single-handed!) construction process, my instruments and bows get put through their paces: each piece that leaves my workshop is subject to rigorous quality controls by my wider network of associated musicians, all of whom are recognized specialists in Early Music.