The violinist’s version of a “Mouthpiece Safari Nightmare”
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We talk about mouthpiece safaris. With violinists, it’s the perfect bow. The following is a story about a $40,000+ 19th century violin bow.
“For most violinists, the mere thought of breaking their bow mid-performance is enough to give them nightmares. But for American violinist Stefan Jackiw, this fear-inducing scenario became a reality while on stage with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra last week.
“About 1/3 of the way into the concerto, my trusty Voirin [François Nicolas Voirin, a violin maker], suddenly snapped in two! Obviously, I was totally unprepared for this disaster, but I grabbed the concertmaster’s bow and just kept going.”
The average price of a sought-after Voirin bow is between approximately £18,000-£40,000, however, one viola bow that went to auction in 2019 sold for an eyewatering $98,000 (£74,643). So breaking one of these is certainly not at the top of any musician’s to-do list.”
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