How Carla Leurs

and Bas Treub

are searching for a

new violin

First, let’s introduce ourselves. Carla Leurs (42) was concertmaster of the Orkest van het Oosten until 2019. These days she works as a soloist and chamber musician, and is always accompanied by her Lupot, a French violin from 1808. For his part, Bas Treub (33) leads the second violins in the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. He cherishes a French instrument by Emile Germain, built in 1891. Both instruments are on loan from the Musical Instrument Fund.

You're both looking for a different violin. Why?

Carla: “I’ve been playing the Lupot for half my life. It’s a beautiful instrument with a distinctly French sound. Think of how the language sounds: a little nasal, with good projection. But I find myself gravitating toward a warmer, rounder sound with different timbres.”

Bas: “I agree. I’m looking for a violin that, on the one hand, makes me feel at home, but on the other hand, challenges me.”

Carla: “As a musician, you always want to push your limits. You’re constantly searching for different, new sounds.”

Bas: “But I do notice how hard it is to switch. I recently got to play around with Carla’s Lupot for two weeks. I could tell right away: that violin is top-notch. But then it comes down to whether you can form a personal connection with it. Does the instrument match my vision of sound? Does it fit my inner world? It’s not really an easy violin—you have to work hard at it. I caught myself feeling relieved when I went back to my old, trusty Germain. Oh, what a relief!’

How do you find a new violin?

Carla: “First, I had a lengthy conversation with Fris Schutte, the instrument manager at Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds. Together, we established a framework: what kind of violin am I looking for, what do I want to use it for, and how can the fund help? Then we sent out a specific request to all violin makers and dealers in the Netherlands. Partly because of the pandemic, but mainly because we want to support the Dutch instrument market.”

Bas: “I explore different avenues. To start with, I ask around. I’ve also visited auction houses in London. And last year I went to Cremona, the famous Italian town of violin makers. I tried out a lot of instruments there, and I really clicked with one violin, but in the end, it didn’t work out. Like Carla, I’ve submitted an application to the fund. Through them, I’ve already tried a handful of violins, but unfortunately without success. I sometimes feel like a difficult customer, but fortunately, the fund remains patient. They understand the dilemmas you run into.”

Is it hard to say goodbye to your old violin?

Carla: “That’s definitely a big deal to me. I’ve never spent as much time with anything or anyone as I have with my Lupot. I’ve played it through so many different moods: when I was head over heels in love, when I was pregnant, but also when things weren’t going my way.”

Bas: “I’ve been through so much with my Germain. Final exams, auditions, traveling halfway around the world. The instrument channels my love for music, and that creates an emotional bond.”

Carla: “It was really tough for me at times, you know. To get to know the Guadagnini, I deliberately left the Lupot in its case. At one point, I even had to put it away in the closet. It was so tempting to just pick up the Lupot again and go back to what I was used to.”

Bas: “I sometimes feel guilty. Then I say, ‘Sorry, honey, I’m going to try it with someone else for a bit.’ On the other hand, we shouldn’t get too sentimental about it. I remember when my teacher Peter Brunt’s violin was stolen. He was devastated, but later he said it had actually been a good thing. It finally forced him to try a different instrument.”

Have you made any progress in your search yet?

Carla: “One day, I got a call from Frits Schutte. He said, ‘Go visit the violin maker Andreas Post in Amsterdam. There’s a Guadagnini there—a beautiful 18th-century instrument.’ I recently recorded some Vivaldi on it, and when I listened back, I thought to myself for the first time in all those years: wow… There was so much variation in tone just in the first eight measures! I’m definitely in for a serious romance with that violin now.”

Bas: “I’m still open to playing a different instrument. But I identify so strongly with the sound of the Germain that I’d prefer to take it with me. At the same time, I also want to try something new.”

Carla: “At some point, you have to make a choice. You can’t just say, ‘Do a little of this and a little of that.’”

Bas: “It’s also about the art of letting go. Apparently, I’m not very good at that.”

Carla: “I was texting Bas the other day: maybe we should have three instruments between us—that way we’ll have less stress. We can take turns, haha!”