Jeffrey Ellis

Internationally Award-Winning

Specialist Bow Maker

Contact

BOWS USED BY

  • ACO(Australian Chamber Orchestra)
  • Dene Olding (Goldner String Quartet, Australia Ensemble)
  • Hartmut Lindemann
  • Donald Hazelwood (former Concertmaster Sydney Symphony Orchestra)
  • Julian Smiles (Goldner String Quartet)
  • Dimity Hall (Goldner String Quartet)
  • Richard Tognetti (Violinist/composer/conductor, Artistic Director and Leader of the Australian Chamber Orchestra)

BOW HISTORY

Very little is known of the makers of the early baroque period, bow types were generally designated according to the players who used them i.e. The Cramer, Corelli, Tartini or Viotti.

The Tourte family with Viotti, and primarily Francois Tourte were responsible for the development of the early modern bow, while John Dodd in London produced similar bows.

With the arrival of bow makers such as Peccatte, bows, while looking similar to those of Francois Tourte are heavier and stronger but do continue to retain the same camber shape.

Voirin (1833-1885) takes the next step and increases the camber of the stick, in particular, behind the head.

Sartory (1871-1946) later produces a more robust version of this style of bow.

“I have a Peter Guarneri Violin and a bow by Australian maker Jeffrey Ellis which is equal to some of the finest bow makers working now.”

Donald Hazelwood

Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) recipient,
former long serving concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

“Sydney’s Jeffrey Ellis is one of Australia’s most notable bow makers.

He was a Churchill Fellow and studied with William Salchow in New York in 1989.

Since 1988 Jeffrey Ellis has been awarded 5 certificates of merit from the Violin Society of America and in 1993 he was awarded a silver medal at the Mittenwald Violin and Bow making Competition.”

Michael Atherton

The Strad Magazine, August 1993.
Article by Michael Atherton, author of Australian Made, Australian Played and
Foundation Professor of Music, Associate Dean (Research), and founding Head of the former School of Contemporary Arts,
University of Western Sydney