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Baroque Adventures
with Alyssa
& Antonio

Violinist Alyssa Wright and cellist Antonio Pellegrino play instruments from the collection of the Musical Instrument Fund as members of the European Union Baroque Orchestra (EUBO). This orchestra was founded to provide young performers of Baroque music with orchestral experience. In the coming months, Antonio and Alyssa will be performing throughout Europe at some of the most renowned festivals and concert venues for early music. Read here about their experiences.

News
5 August 2025 by Indy de Vries

A beautiful reflection

Antonio: “We play our instruments from the collection of the Musical Instrument Fund in the EUBO alongside fantastic musicians such as Shunske Sato, Enrico Onofri, and Dorothee Oberlinger. It is a great honor for us to be part of such a prestigious ensemble, and we see it as a wonderful reflection of the support that the Musical Instrument Fund provides to young musicians. For us, this is therefore a special opportunity to represent the fund through our dedication and love for early music."

Antonio en Alyssa presenteren met trots de instrumenten die zij in bruikleen hebben van het muziekinstrumentenfonds.

A boost to development

Antonio and Alyssa are both in the final phase of their studies at the conservatory. For graduating musicians, touring with the EUBO is a truly valuable experience. Performing at a professional level alongside world-renowned musicians prepares them for the realities of a future career in historically informed performance. And Antonio says that, on a personal level, it’s incredibly inspiring to share his passion for early music with people who are just as dedicated to performing it.

On top of that, they learn a lot from the other orchestra members. Antonio: “We’ve built an incredibly close-knit group. From the very first rehearsal, it felt as if we’d been playing together for years. That kind of trust and synergy is invaluable. One piece of advice that really stuck with me came from one of our conductors: breathe as one group and strive not only to create a unified musical sound, but also to convey a shared message of peace and togetherness. That mindset elevates everything we do on stage.”

From the collection of traditional Dutch instruments

Antonio has been playing this magnificent 18th-century Cuypers. Violinist Alyssa Wright has been familiar to the foundation for some time now. Since 2022, she has been playing a Amsterdam violin by an anonymous 17th-century maker, and a Baroque bow, built by Basil de Visser, on loan.

According to Antonio, the Cuypers cello adds a great deal of warmth to the orchestra’s overall character. “Especially in the lower registers, it offers a distinctly Dutch quality: a restrained yet refined sound that I am proud to bring to the fore and share with our audience.”

Cuypers-cello (Den Haag, 1788)

Anonieme viool (Amsterdam, ± 1680)

The Musical Instrument Fund is thrilled to see how these young talents are expanding their touring experience while representing the traditional Dutch instruments from our collection and bringing them together with historical instruments from other countries. We wish them a wonderful tour!

More about the tour

The Baroque orchestra has already filled a number of concert halls in June and will resume its tour in September. The orchestra will then travel to Italy, among other places, which Antonio is really looking forward to. “It’s always a privilege to perform in my home country. And after that, we’ll be performing a number of Bach cantatas in Germany—which are truly among my all-time favorite pieces and which I listen to almost every day. It’s a dream come true to bring that music to life on stage.”

Check out the other European destinations