Peter Oxley

Guest Instructor

Pete is an award-winning bow maker, an internationally recognized expert and restorer of 19th century French bows, and an accomplished jazz musician. His diverse and intimate knowledge of bows began with his early apprenticeship with W. E. Hill & Sons bow maker Garner Wilson, and later continued with his move to France to immerse himself in bow restoration. Being in France and working on French bows developed his knowledge of and experience with French making techniques, style, and history. Both the strict English method of making and the artistry of the French style have informed Pete’s bow work and making. His unique and innovative restoration techniques have become highly regarded in the field and have been published in multiple resources including The Strad, BVMA Newsletter, and the IPCI’s The Conservation, Restoration, and Repair of Stringed Instruments and Their Bows. Pete has spoken at international conferences and events including the 1995 Musicora International Symposium of Bows, and has won multiple bow making awards including Paris 1999, gold and silver and Manchester 2001, gold. He has also been involved in unique projects including participating in the BBC’s program Scrapheap Orchestra. Pete is currently working in Oxford as a bow maker and restorer.

F.X. Tourte Restoration