Niall O’Shiel Flemming Silver Cello Bow

Niall O’Shiel Flemming

I studied Violin making and restoration at the Newark School of Violin Making 2007-2010, In my final year I was also working for Stringers of Edinburgh in their London shop. There I started working with bows doing basic work and rehairs. After this I did an apprenticeship with Pierre Guillaume at Maison Bernard in Brussels, Belgium where I had the opportunity to see and work on some amazing old (mainly French) bows. Once finished in Brussels, I had now fallen in love with the French style of making I decided I wanted to know more about it, so I contacted the renowned bow maker Noel Burke regarding learning more about new making and fortunately for me he took me on. I worked in his workshop for nearly two years trying to learn as much as I can form such a great master. Now I have set up shop for myself in the heart of Kilkenny city doing predominantly new making and some restoration of bows for musical Instruments. In 2018 I received two certificates of merit for craftsmanship for my Violin and Cello bows from the Violin Society of America and in 2019 I received 2nd place in the 2e Concours International d’Archeterie Viola’s. My main inspiration is from the work of Étienne Pajeot with some influences from Nicolas Maire, Nicolas Maline and Pierre Simone, some of the great French makers of the early 19th Century.

Awards:

2nd Place at the 2e Concours International d’Archeterie Viola’s Paris 2019

Certificate of merit for craftsmanship in Violin from the Violin Society of America 2018,

Certificate of merit for craftsmanship in Cello from the Violin Society of America 2018