Geertje van
der Linden
I've been playing my grandmother's cello for a long time, so I know very well how valuable it is to be able to play a beautiful instrument and how wonderful it is when an instrument can be passed on to the next generation.
‘The foundationhas grown into a rich resourcefor and bymusicians’
I studied cello at the Royal Conservatoire (The Hague) and pedagogy at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Both studies are proving very useful to me now. At the Netherlands Musical Instrument Foundation, I'm responsible for managing our instrument collection and I am the point of contact for (almost) all musicians. Every day, I deal with instruments and their maintenance, musicians and their questions, and donors and the instruments they wish to pass on.
The foundation has grown into a rich resource for and by musicians. Young musicians turn to us in their search for a suitable instrument, and older musicians, after a long career, find a new home for the instrument they've enjoyed so much. I'm happy to contribute to that!
My favourite instrument
I’m choosing the Landolfi double bass, because I have such a beautiful memory of the small inaugural concert Luis Cabrera gave at the office of The Netherlands Musical Instrument Foundation. This concert was organised for the family of the person who had bequeathed a large sum to the foundation, which allowed us to purchase this bass. Luis arrived late because the trams were running a different route (due to the arrival of Sinterklaas). There were family members ranging in age from 0 to 90 years old, the little ones in festive costumes. And despite the excitement surrounding Sinterklaas, such tremendous concentration and love was given to the instrument, its new player, the testator and his family.
check out the bass