"Each bow is made to the specific needs of the player."
On Weight, Feel and Sound
Frog, stamped
Cody Kowalski
II
Bow Maker
Wuppertal, Germany
Cody Kowalski grew up in an artistic family on an island near Port Townsend, Washington. At twelve he began learning woodworking and jewellery techniques under the bow maker Charles Espey, and at thirteen he completed his first violin bow.
After his apprenticeship he travelled to France, visiting a number of bow makers to study their approaches to design and playability. He has worked independently since 2013, taking commissions from professional and amateur musicians around the world.
His bows follow the Tourte and Peccatte models, carried forward with modifications of his own. In 2016 he was awarded three gold medals at the Violin Society of America International Competition, and two Grands Prix at the first International Darling Bow Making Competition in Amsterdam.
Every bow is made for one particular player. Weight, feel and sound are adjusted until the bow answers to the hand and the ear it was built for.
- Studied with
- Charles Espey
- First bow at
- Age thirteen
- Independent since
- 2013
- Models
- Tourte and Peccatte
Bow head · Cody Kowalski