David Hawthorne

David Hawthorne has been making bows since the 1980’s. He started with workshops at the University of New Hampshire with William Salchow, then attended the Oberlin Workshops for some ten or twelve sessions with Stéphane Thomachot, Eric Grandchamp, Yung Chin, Morgan Anderson, Klause Grunke, Tim Baker, and many more luminaries. He also spent time with Stéphane Thomachot in his shop in Paris.

For a time, Hawthorne specialized in making copies of baroque bows, and enjoyed success in this field. The exploration of this area greatly informed his modern bowmaking. Before and during his years making bows, Hawthorne went to music school, earning a Bachelor’s from Berklee College of Music, then two Masters’ from New England Conservatory. His instrumental specialty is jazz guitar, but he has played violin since age 5, and it is this facility which greatly informs his bowmaking insight. Because he has also become very good at repair and maintenance of bows, many fine players have sought him out and brought their rare and refined bows for work. In this way, Hawthorne has had the opportunity to play many of the finest violin bows in existence, and it is this kinetic and acoustic experience which informs his work. He has been privileged to collaborate with many fine players making cello bows, since violin is his instrument.

He is also an active Jazz composer and player, leading a band called Timeghost, mostly in the Boston area.