Roy Quade viola bow

Roy G. Quade is an award-winning Canadian bow maker. He is considered among the leading contemporary makers in North America. Quade completed his initial training with prominent American bow maker and restorer William Salchow in New York and completed prestigious summer workshops at Oberlin College, which were led by highly respected French bow maker Stéphane Thomachot.

His bows were known for the precision of their craftsmanship. He describes his process: "When I am finishing a bow, I set the plane so fine that the wood comes away in tiny, almost transparent shavings. My kids call it angel hair."

His illustrious career earned him several awards, including a record four gold medals for his bows at the Violin Society of America (violin, 1996; viola and cello, 1998; viola, 2004), and the Hors' Concours honorary designation; a silver medal from BVMA London; and 15 merit awards at various competitions in the U.S. and Great Britain. He currently lives and works in Calgary.