Boston Area Bow-Maker Recipient of ‘Genius Grant’

Rolland Arveil, of Boston suburb Watertown, is one of 23 people, worldwide, chosen to be the 2012 MacArthur Fellows and recipients of the foundation’s “genius grants.”

Arveil’s grandmother was an accomplished concert pianist in France and, by the time he turned 7, she had him playing the instrument. By 9, he was a violin student at the Versailles conservatory and by 16, he was a graduate of the Conservatoire de Paris. But, instead of pursuing a career as a player, Rolland turned his attention to the bow.

As he told the Boston Globe in a recent article, “It is an ancient craft worldwide, but especially treasured in France… And I have no better explanation than that I simply love the bow. It is necessary. So important. Much like the instruments they serve, I see the bows as living, not unlike muscles in the body.”

Arveil’s 1,300-plus clients include some of the world’s most accomplished players.

To read the full Globe article click here.