viola

This exceptional viola was purchased by the Musical Instrument Fund in 2002. Experts consider the instrument to be an exceptionally pure and unique example, partly because Vuillaume built very few violas. Unlike many other instruments by Vuillaume, this viola was not artificially “aged.” Furthermore, because it shows virtually no signs of wear, it looks like a contemporary instrument. At the time of purchase, the original tuning pegs and the endpin with hand-carved decorations were still attached to the instrument; the Musical Instrument Fund had these replaced, and the original parts are preserved in the archive. The viola has been played by Joël Waterman and Thu Nguyen Nguyet, and has been in the possession of Rosalinde Kluck, a member of the EnAccord Quartet, since 2009.