Orchestra Gifted Bow Made From Cancer Patient's Hair in Memory of Canadian Conductor

Jun 12, 2023

By Sara Schabas on July 31, 2023

Catherine Dallaire premiered a new bow donated by a woman battling cancer in a fundraising concert honouring the death of Orchestre Symphonique de Québec’s principal guest conductor, Bramwell Tovey.

How did this come about?: A woman named Karine, who is currently battling cancer, donated her hair to a luthier to be made into a violin bow for the orchestra’s fundraising concert for the Quebec Cancer Foundation. The orchestra is playing the concert to mark the anniversary of the death of Bramwell Tovey, their principal guest conductor, who died of sarcoma on July 12th, 2022.

Are human hair bows a thing?: Not really. For the past 400 years, violin bows have been made from 160-180 strands of horsehair. Human hair is slightly thinner than horsehair, although the two share similarities, according to the luthier who made Dallaire’s new “Bow of Hope.” Horsehair is often used in wigs, including those worn in British courtrooms.

Karine, now a cancer survivor, expressed that she felt filled with pride that her own struggle with cancer would be heard during the concert.

Listen to Karine’s story, watch the bow being made, and hear some Bach played with it [HERE].