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Jumpstart-Sparey
Collection transferred

Ten exceptional string instruments from the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation in Amsterdam have been added to the collection of the Musical Instrument Fund. These instruments are part of the “Sparey Collection,” which was donated to Jumpstart Jr. in 2016 by British violinist Jonathan Sparey. Due to their modern “set-up,” these ten instruments do not align with the foundation’s target audience, as it selects musicians who pursue careers in historical performance practice.

News
25 January 2022 by Frits Schutte

International

Jumpstart Jr. and the fund share the same goal and adhere to the same values and principles. Collaborating was therefore a natural and logical step.

The Jumpstart Jr. Foundation manages a collection of more than ten Baroque and Classical violins and cellos, strung with gut strings, and lends them to young international musicians who have completed—or are about to complete—their musical training and who have a strong interest in a career in historical performance practice. To be considered for a loaned instrument, musicians must audition.

New Destination

For ten instruments from the Sparey Collection —9 violins and 1 viola, built between 1600 and 1800 by various master luthiers—Jumpstart Jr. asked the Musical Instrument Fund to help determine a suitable home for them. By entrusting these ten instruments to the fund, both organizations can best serve their target audience: even more young musicians will be provided with a quality instrument, and this exceptional collection will continue to be played and preserved. Within our collection, the instruments will be part of the “Jumpstart-Sparey Collection.”

Fitzwilliam String Quartet met: Lucy Russell, Jonathan Sparey, Alan George, Nicola Baxter.

Jonathan Sparey

A few years ago, British violinist Jonathan Sparey met one of the Jumpstart Jr. musicians and struck up a conversation about the violin she was playing. At the time, Jonathan was a member of the English Fitzwilliam String Quartet, and he had been collecting antique violins since the beginning of his career. His collection had grown quite extensive by then, and he lent nearly all of his instruments—for shorter or longer periods—to various violinists, both in England and abroad. In 2016, he and his wife Elizabeth decided to donate part of his collection to the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation.

Listen

Most of the instruments are currently in use and will be assigned to a musician from the fund once the loan period ends. A viola, built by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume (Paris, 1864), had already been temporarily loaned by the Musical Instrument Fund to renowned violist Daniel Rowland to record Philip Sawyers’ Viola Concerto with the English Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kenneth Woods. The viola was loaned in July 2022 to Anuschka Pedano. An anonymous Italian violin is now in the possession of Quinten van Brummen.