One of our featured artists from the July 2024 issue discusses his bow and instruments, both past and present
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This is an excerpt from The Strad July 2024 feature, ’Violinist Daniel Rowland reflects on his career’. Read the full article here
Rowland feels particularly close to his violin, a 1796 instrument by Cremonese luthier Lorenzo Storioni, which he plays with a bow by 19th-century Mirecourt maker Nicolas Maline. ‘I bought the violin in 2006 at Biddulph’s in London, and before that it belonged to Gordan Nikolić, who was at that time leader of the London Symphony Orchestra.’ And, Rowland says, it’s his faithful companion right across his varied repertoire, and across solo, chamber and orchestral work.
Even if, as he admits, there might have been competition. ‘About ten years ago, the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation – who have always been very supportive of me [in fact, his bow is on loan from them] – called me up and said they had a “del Gesù” for me to try. Of course, I jumped at the chance. It looked out of this world, like a tiger, and it sounded beautiful. I played it for about two years, but began to realise that I was doing none of the important concerts on it, and none of my recordings. I kept going back to the Storioni. So after those two years, I called the foundation back and said, “Thanks so much, guys, but I’m giving it back. I think it needs to be with someone who’s actually going to play it, and I feel more at home on the Storioni.”’
This is an excerpt from The Strad July 2024 feature, ’Violinist Daniel Rowland reflects on his career’. Read the full article here
Read: A Gagliano and a Strad: the violins of Maria Dueñas
Watch: Stradivarius and Beyond: The Italian Violin Maker Lorenzo Storioni
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