Rare Violins of New York to Host Violin Bow Exhibition Celebrating François Xavier Tourte

Nearly 40 bows by history's most important bowmaker will be available to view between February 23 and March 6, 2026, at Rare Violins of New York

By The Violin Channel

February 17, 2026

3 MIN READ

Rare Violins of New York will present an exhibition honoring François Xavier Tourte (1748–1835) later this month. Entitled FÊTE TOURTE, the event will honor the craftsman, known as the "Stradivari of the bow," whose innovations defined the modern violin bow.

The exhibition will feature nearly 40 Tourte bows at Rare Violins of New York, located on the 38th floor of Carnegie Hall Tower at 152 West 57th Street in New York.

Attendance at the exhibition is by RSVP only, and space is limited.

“The last time we saw this many great bows was when Paul Childs put together an exhibition of Tourtes in 2008 in London," said Bruno Price, Partner at Rare Violins of New York. "His inspiration is with us as we endeavor to add to the conversation and shared knowledge of the great François Xavier Tourte. ”

Bows on display will include The Prince Demidoff violin bow, The De Lamare cello bow, The Romberg cello bow, The 1825 Tourte violin bow from the Paul Childs estate, and The Ysaye, Stern violin bow, and bows from the Toft Collection.

FÊTE TOURTE will also present select modern bows by today’s living makers, including Victor Bernard, Sylvain Bigot, Noel Burke, Charles Espey, Ron Forrester, Pierre Guillaume, Jean-Jacques Millant, Yongmin Na, Peter Oxley, Isaac Salchow, Magdalena Sapeta, Paul Martin Siefried, and Matthew Wehling.

Each modern maker represented engages directly with Tourte’s legacy, interpreting his balance, geometry, and tonal ideals through their own distinct artistic voices.

“It's remarkable to have so many great bows together in one place, and it's made possible only by the intrepid collaboration of colleagues near and far," said the exhibition’s curator, Chase Maggiano, Bow Restorer at Rare Violins of New York. "We hope that everyone with even a passing interest in bowed instruments will come visit us to learn more about this great maker and how the style of bows we play today came to be through his hand.

Rare Violins of New York

Born in Paris in 1747, Tourte was the central figure in the development of the modern bow, and as a result, he is sometimes referred to as the "Stradivarius of the bow world." He built bows that were heavier than their predecessors, with more wood at the tip of the bow, and counterbalanced this extra weight with a heavier frog.

He is also credited with lengthening the stick of the bow, adjusting its shape to be concave in relation to the hair, and adding screws and metal ferrules to allow the player to adjust the tension of the hair.

Tourte's innovations allowed players to develop new sound worlds, facilitating greater projection, a wider range of tonal colors, and, significantly, the ability to play phrases with a more balanced legato in which the up bow could be the same weight as the down bow.

Learn more here!