I have wonderful memories of my time at the Conservatory of Amsterdam in Davina van Wely's class and fondly recall the unforgettable period I spent traveling as concertmaster of a Spanish chamber orchestra, with my violin as my faithful companion. In 1999, I felt it was time to embark on a new path. My professional background and passion for music and instruments proved key to a new step in my life as collection manager at the Netherlands Musical Instrument Foundation.
‘To gain a deeper understandingof the craft of violin making,I built my own violin’
Now, as Head of Collection, I'm responsible for the day-to-day running of the collection and our team. Together with Geertje, Katrien, and Hidde, I have the honorable task and responsibility of managing the Foundation’s unique and high-quality collection. I'm thrilled that, in close collaboration with players and experts, we have successfully achieved a balance between the use and management of this exceptional collection.
To gain a deeper understanding of the craft of violin making, I built my own violin in 2000 under the guidance of violin maker Guust François. I completed a two-year coaching program at the European Institute (De Baak). In addition to my work at the Netherlands Musical Instrument Foundation, I'm a board member of the Hendrik Jacobs Foundation, established in 2020, which conducts research into early Dutch violin making.
My favourite instrument
Little is still known about the 17th-century luthier Gijsbert Verbeek. For a long time, there was merely a strong suspicion that he worked as a violin maker. The discovery of this violin in 2002 changed this idea, due to the unique original label displayed on the inside of the back plate. By acting quickly, The Netherlands Musical Instrument Foundation was able to prevent the violin from disappearing onto the international market via an English dealer. To me, the Verbeek is the epitome of rare cultural heritage preserved for the Netherlands. In this violin, we see the extremely high standard at which violins were built in the Netherlands in the 17th century reflected. A true gem in our collection.
check out the violin