Woodworker: Jon Bates

Jon Bates lead a team of seven to craft this extraordinary baton and case for world-famous violinist Itzhak Perlman. A woodworker and doctor/hospital CEO by trade, Bates first honed baton-making skills when crafting them for a friend and conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. On a visit to Little Rock, Perlman heard of Bates’ skill and playfully requested a baton of his own crafted from precious materials. Bates took the request seriously and asked friends from the Arkansas Arts Center Museum School to help. The results: this macassar ebony and walnut case crafted from 14 sheets of veneer with carved scrolls, and a gold baton with an ebony and ivory inlaid handle.

Photos: Kelley Cooper

Launch Gallery