At 17, Gilles Nehr became fascinated by the profession of his cousin, bowmaker Jean-Pascal Nehr. He joined him in Marseille as an apprentice and graduated in bowmaking from Mirecourt at the age of 20.

 

René Morel recognized the talent and purity of the French tradition in Gilles Nehr’s work and offered him a unique opportunity: to join his prestigious 54th Street workshop in New York City as its sole bowmaker. There, Gilles became the trusted craftsman for many of the world’s most renowned musicians, including Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Isaac Stern, Joshua Bell, Midori, Jamie Laredo, and others.

 

During his time at René Morel Rare Violins, Gilles crafted bows under the workshop’s stamp and restored 19th-century master bows of exceptional beauty and value. He worked closely with the esteemed Salchow family, whose bowmaking workshop was in the same building. Over time, he became acutely aware of recurring structural weaknesses in traditional bows, which he observed through countless similar restorations. This led him to develop a new concept that addressed these flaws while meeting the practical demands of string players. Thus, the Tête-Bêche bow was born.

 

Gilles later opened his own workshop in Manhattan and became the exclusive caretaker of the Juilliard School’s bow collection.

 

After several years, he returned to Europe, establishing workshops in Lisbon, Rome, Berlin, and Bordeaux. He has since settled in Montreal, Québec, where he joined the Collectif Lutherie Montréal (CLM).

 

Throughout his career, Gilles Nehr has sold his bows directly to musicians, rather than through shops, dealers, or exhibitions. This approach allows him to craft each bow with a specific player in mind, maintaining a steady list of orders and focusing entirely on the musician’s needs and the quality of his craft.