Film

Coosje Wijzenbeek:

“the nation’s favorite violinist”

Speech by the Director

29 juni 2022

Dear guests, dear family, friends, students, colleagues, and acquaintances of Coosje,

Exactly 1.5 years ago, Coosje called my colleague Frits. She explained that she wanted to slow down a bit and had decided to step down from her role on the Instrument Committee of the Musical Instrument Fund. After 26 years, she felt it was time to move on. Year after year, despite her busy life, she made time to selflessly review policy documents and processed more than 1,500 applications. With her expert input and dedication, Coosje influenced the fund’s operations and decisions—always in her own unique and highly principled way.

My colleagues and I decided to thank her for all the work she had done, but how?

We hinted at a short video—featuring messages of thanks from colleagues, friends, and people in the field—that we wanted to show her and anyone else present at her farewell. Of course, the thank-you video had to be entirely in line with Coosje’s approach: it had to be top-notch, energetic, honest, and authentic. So I reached out to director Tonko Dop. He was more than happy to help.

To put Aunt Coosje in the spotlight, we also wanted to interview her for our magazine and—oh, yes—ask if she’d be willing to pose for a photo. Nothing without consulting Coosje first. Because we knew: Coosje isn’t one for “seeing and being seen.” Modesty is a virtue. Modesty is Coosje’s virtue. As long as no surprise party or anything like that was organized, she was fine with any way we chose to thank her.

Secretly, we toyed with the idea of asking her to join the Advisory Board. We definitely didn't want to lose her... Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened a few months later.

Because of her sudden passing, the film we had envisioned was suddenly seen in a completely different light. It was no longer just a thank-you video. It became a memento, a monument, a tribute to this extraordinary and wonderful violin teacher.

I am proud that we were able to create such a beautiful tribute. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this wonderful film.

Manon Veenendaal