Helena & Richard Music Ltd

Dr. Xun “Richard” Xu is a violinist, and Pedagogue known for his systematic approach to bow control. After years of struggling with right-hand tension and unclear bowing mechanics, he inherited Sevcik Bow Technique during his doctoral study. This method helps violinists gain better sound, freedom, and confidence by rebuilding bow fundamentals from the ground up. Through The Bow Doctor programs, Dr. Xu shares this system with violinists worldwide, combining deep technical insight with empathy and clarity born from personal experience.

For years, every teacher I studied with told me the same thing:

“Your bow control isn’t good enough.”

“Use more bow.”

“Relax your pinky.”

“Reach the frog.”

“Your right hand is too tight.”

And they were all amazing teachers — truly great musicians and mentors.

But no matter how hard I practiced, I still couldn’t feel what they meant.

I could play lyrical pieces decently, but whenever the music required real power and support from the bow, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t win orchestra auditions. I couldn’t win competitions. And eventually, because of the wrong muscle use, I even started to feel pain in my shoulder blade. At one point, I almost gave up playing the violin.

Then, I was lucky to meet my graduate advisor, Professor David Neely. He told me, “I went through exactly the same thing when I was your age.”

That gave me hope.

He said, “Then I’m the right person to help. Let’s study the Ševčík Opus. 3 together. You’ll gain so much from it.”

And that was it — the turning point of my entire playing career.

Working through the Sevcik system changed everything about how I understand and use the bow. My tone, control, and comfort completely transformed.

Now, I feel it’s my mission to share this method with more people — especially young violinists who struggle with tension, just like I did — and help them find freedom and confidence in their playing.