A Knightly Award for a French Bow Maker

2017-07-05 String Instrument News

Knights do not come in all shapes and sizes. It happened that the government in France wanted to recognize those who have great contributions to the literature and arts of France. That is why Benoît Rolland received the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), a due recognition given by the French Government.

Benoît Rolland is bow maker who, along with MacArthur had made bows for well-known musical performers like Anne-Sophie Mutter, Kim Kashkashian, Christian Tetzlaff, Julia Fischer, Miriam Fried, and Lynn Harrell. These accomplishments qualify him for the said award.

The government of France will choose 20 commanders, 60 officers and 200 knights every year. Others like the Dominique ‘Solrey’ Lemonnier and Nemanja Radulović which are violinists and Joëlle Léandre, a bassist also received the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. Sylvie Gazeau a Conservatoire violin professor and Gilbert Bezzina a conductor and a violinist also receive the same recognition.