Violinist Sues Luthier for an $80,000 Bow

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A concert violinist sued a violin shop, claiming it snapped in two an $80,000 violin bow while trying to straighten it.

Leonidas Kavakos sued Nazaret Mkhsi-Gevorkian and Gevorkian Nazareth Violins, of Burbank, on Jan. 2, in Superior Court.

Kavakos, 47, has won several prestigious international violin competitions, and played with major orchestras around the world, including the Berlin, London and Chicago Philharmonics. He plays the Abergavenny Stradivarius of 1724.

Kavakos claims he paid 65,000 euros for a Henry Bow in August 2012. French bow maker J. Henry made it in about 1850, "ornately adorned with tortoise shell and silver."

He says he brought it to Gevorkian in January 2013 to find out why the bow was curved. Gevorkian "began applying pressure to the Henry Bow, at which time the Henry Bow snapped into two pieces," the complaint states.

Kavakos says Gevorkian should have heated up the bow first, to make it responsive to straightening, but he did not. He says the bow is broken beyond repair.

He seeks $80,000, and damages for negligence and breach of contract.

He is represented by Mark Robertson with Funsten & Franzen, of Beverly Hills.

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