Contemporary bow maker Éric Gagné is a life-long lover of music and admirer of fine materials. His interests ultimately led him to bow making, and he learned the rudiments of the craft while working for Blaise Emmelin in Toulouse, France. Eric later moved to Brussels to work for with Pierre Guillaume at prominent Maison Bernard, and for eight years, Eric shared a workshop with violin maker Isabelle Wilbaux in Montréal.
Éric has won multiple awards at international competitions including seven Certificates of Merit from the Violin Society of America. He is a member of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers and the Entente international des luthiers et archetier. He is also a founding member of the Maker's Forum, an organization dedicated to the promotion of contemporary Canadian violin and bow makers. Eric presently works from his home studio in Sherbrooke while also collaborating with the Wilder and Davis workshop in Montréal, for whom he restores bows from across Canada.
