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Meet
Filipe Fernandes

Thanks to generous music lovers, the Musical Instrument Fund is able to lend instruments to talented musicians. Currently, more than 440 talented musicians are playing instruments from our collection that match their ambitions. Filipe Fernandes has also found the perfect match: the combination of a Tononi violin and a Voirin bow gives him the freedom to continue developing musically. Read on and get to know Filipe!

News
14 July 2026 by Indy de Vries

Why did you start looking for a different instrument?

“After a while, I grew a bit tired of my own violin and bow. I felt I needed something better to discover new sounds. I think that as you develop as a musician, there comes a point when you’re ready for an instrument that better suits your abilities as a performer. After realizing that, I started looking, and luckily, the Music Instrument Fund had some fantastic instruments available. I’m so happy I was able to choose a violin from their collection. Because where I’m from, Madeira, there’s no foundation like that. So it’s truly an honor.”

Which instrument from the collection did you choose, and why?

“When I got to try out instruments, I was completely overwhelmed by all the instruments the foundation had lined up for me. It was truly amazing! I took three violins home with me, including the Tononi. I ultimately chose that violin because I found it the most interesting and felt the strongest connection to it. It has a very dark tone. I feel like the violin has its own voice, which allows me to connect with it deeply.

After borrowing the instrument for a few months, I noticed that my bow wasn’t up to the same standard as the violin, so I started looking for another one. Fortunately, Geertje (collection manager) still had a few good bows available. I could choose between two bows that I really liked—which made the choice quite difficult, but also guaranteed a fantastic outcome. The Voirin that I ultimately chose is excellent, but so was the other option. In a sense, there was no wrong choice—just a matter of personal preference. I’m super happy with the Voirin. I didn’t know the bow had such a big impact on the instrument’s sound. It makes my life ten times easier.”

De Giovanni Tononi violin (Bologna, ca. 1700)

The François Nicolas Voirin Bow (Paris, ca. 1860)

Which event are you looking forward to playing in with Tononi and Voirin?

“I always find it very special to perform in my hometown, because no one in Madeira is lucky enough to play a violin like mine. Every time I come back and take the instrument to my old violin teacher there, he’s incredibly proud. I’ll be playing there again in March, so of course I’m really looking forward to it. But in general, I’m always happy to play the violin and bow, even at home by myself, for example.”

What is the music scene like in Madeira?

“In Madeira, a conservatory offers education through high school. Many great musicians come from Madeira, and that’s thanks to the fantastic teachers there, even though it’s so far from the mainland (well, for me, Madeira is the mainland). You’re so far removed from everything there. The students who come from there are incredibly hardworking and are doing a great job. In addition, they have the Madeira Classical Orchestra, which comes closest to being an ensemble with international stature. They regularly invite soloists and conductors and do a fantastic job of bringing these amazing musicians to Madeira. But ultimately, it’s mainly the teachers there who are doing an exceptional job.”

About Filipe Fernandes

When Filipe was 17, his violin teacher at the time advised him to attend the Conservatorium van Amsterdam to study with Ilya Grubert and Maria Milstein. He has now been living in the Netherlands for ten years. He currently plays with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Roctet, and Music Collective Amsterdam. The latter is a small ensemble consisting of musicians who also play in various major orchestras in the Netherlands, such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the NKO, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The collective performs arranged orchestral music with a very limited number of musicians—a tremendous challenge.

Our Musicians

Would you like to get to know all the musicians who have an instrument on loan from the Musical Instrument Fund? They’d love to introduce themselves to you on our website.

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