Ward Hansen
Bow Restoration, Rehairing, and Repairs
Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and leading orchestra members from all over the U.S., including many from the Chicago Symphony, have counted on Ward Hansen to restore and rehair their bows. Hansen began his affiliation with Bein & Fushi in 1985 when he answered an ad looking for apprentices: "Ward was the only person Bob and I hired from that ad," said Geoffrey Fushi. "It's been gratifying to watch his development over the years to become one of the leading bow restoration experts in the the world." With a bachelor's degree from the University of South Dakota in fine arts as a painter and experience working at a cabinet shop, Hansen apprenticed with and then assisted renowned bow maker John Norwood Lee. Five years ago Hansen took over Lee's restoration work and established his own shop. He recently moved into a new shop that he built in Chicago's Fine Arts Building on the fourth floor, just a few floors away from Bein & Fushi.
"Ward learned rehairing and basic repairs very quickly. He developed an eye for the styles of bows and incorporated this into his work thereby creating some of the finest replacement frogs and buttons available. He truly is a treasure for all string players who visit Bein & Fushi."
— John Norwood Lee
"I'm so grateful to Robert Bein and Geoffrey Fushi for starting me on this journey twenty-two years ago. I can't imagine better people to work with."
— Ward Hansen
Shop Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 10:00 am - 5:30 pm