In Memoriam:
Pieter
Moerenhout
Pieter Moerenhout (1930–2018) was the founding father of the Musical Instrument Fund. In 1984, his search for a good violin for his own daughter, Saskia, brought him face-to-face with the issue of expensive string instruments. Sitting at his kitchen table, he came up with the idea for an instrument fund, and after five intense years, he succeeded in gathering a team of dedicated and knowledgeable people around him, enabling the foundation to be established in 1988.
With Theo Olof (the first chairman of the board of the Musical Instrument Fund) by his side, Pieter joined the Prince Bernhard Cultural Fund, which helped launch the Musical Instrument Fund with a generous contribution. “The crazy dream of a guy nobody knows,” as Pieter himself described it, turned out to have become a reality.
In the early years, Pieter “Runde” ran the Musical Instrument Fund from the attic of his home in Bunnik. His wife, Gré, was his rock and constant support. But rapid growth led the foundation to move into an office building in 1995, staffed by a director, an office manager, and a collection manager. In the years that followed, the Musical Instrument Fund continued to professionalize at a rapid pace, always under the watchful eye of Pieter Moerenhout—first as secretary of the board (until 2002) and later as a member of the Instruments Committee. In recent years, Pieter served as a member of the Advisory Board. As long as his health permitted, he remained informed of all developments, and his contribution was invaluable to the decision-making and policy-making of the Musical Instrument Fund.
Pieter was a wonderful storyteller when it came to the adventures from the early years of the Musical Instrument Fund. For example, he once traveled all the way to Mexico with his wife to pick up instruments. On another occasion, a donated violin crumbled into a cloud of dust when he opened the case—it had been eaten away by woodworm. The donation of the famous “Max Rodriguez Collection” (which today is valued at over 4.5 million euros) remained the highlight of his career. He regularly told us how happy he was with the way the team continued to nurture “his brainchild.”
Without Pieter Moerenhout, the Musical Instrument Fund would never have existed. His passing has deeply affected us all, and we will miss him terribly.
Photo: Sjaak Ramakers (2006)
Pieter Moerenhout taught Dutch for 33 years. In the early 1960s, he was also a professional singer for a time. Later, he studied at the Artibus Academy of Fine Arts, after which he worked as a sculptor and medalist in addition to his teaching career. Pieter Moerenhout was the author of the book *Mens en Milieu* and co-author of the biology textbook *Het Geheimzinnige Leven*. He was the founder of the Krommerijn Concert Series in Bunnik. Pieter Moerenhout was an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau and a recipient of the Silver Carnation; he received both honors for his tireless service to the Musical Instrument Fund.
Read here the article about Pieter Moerenhout in the NRC from September 7, 2018.