Skip to content

Meet
Dear Yıldız

Thanks to the generous support of music lovers, the Musical Instrument Fund is able to make its exceptional collection available to talented musicians. One such musician is the Turkish cellist Beste Yıldız, who, since February, has been on loan from the fund an Italian cello built by Chiocchi and a Harm Bakker bow. Read on to get to know him.

News
13 June 2025 by Indy de Vries

Why were you looking for a different cello?

“I came to the Netherlands from Turkey to study at the Royal Conservatory. I brought my own cello with me. My teacher, Larissa Groeneveld, said right away, ‘You have to sell that one.’” I trusted her, so I did. Larissa offered me her second instrument: a cello built by Hakkert that she had played during her studies. I was truly shocked that I was allowed to play her old cello—even though I didn’t know how long that would be. “Until you find a better instrument of your own,” she said.

Larissa had really given me a great gift. That new cello became my superhero—it had saved me. I ended up playing it for 5.5 years. It wasn’t until my fifth year that I realized I knew the instrument inside and out. I felt I was ready for a new challenge. And when I reached the semifinals of the Cello Biennale in 2024, the jury also advised me to switch instruments. Moreover, I have the ambition to become a soloist, and the cello didn’t quite fit with that. I wanted to challenge myself within the solo repertoire, and for that I needed a new instrument. Larissa, cellist Lucia Swarts, and a number of close friends then advised me to contact the Musical Instrument Fund.’

Which cello and bow from our collection did you choose, and why?

“I tried out two instruments: a Cuypers from the Netherlands and a beautiful Italian cello built by Chiocchi. I already told collection manager Geertje: it’s like finding a magic wand from Harry Potter. I played the Italian one a little and immediately thought: okay, this is the one! But then again, I’m no wizard, haha. Of course, I played both instruments a lot to figure out which one suits me best.

My only concern was: how would the instrument sound in a large hall or with an ensemble? After all, the Chiocchi is truly a solo instrument. How would it fill the space? How would it sound from the back row? So I also tried out both cellos in a church and in the main hall of the conservatory in Amare. There, it turned out that they were quite evenly matched in terms of projection. In the end, it really came down to character and personal preference. To me, the Cuypers felt just a bit too introverted. The Chiocchi, on the other hand, has a certain “old-world” quality, even though the Cuypers is actually older. The Chiocchi felt more like “me”: a slightly deeper tone, with plenty of character. The instrument just resonated with me. And it’s a bit smaller, which suits me better.

At that time, the Musical Instrument Fund also gave me the opportunity to try out a few bows, although I wasn’t yet sure if I would choose the Chiocchi. Among other things, I played with a French Viorin and a bow by Harm Bakker (Nieuwegein, 2008). I found the latter to have the most power. Incidentally, the Bakker bow didn’t match the Cuypers very well, but it did match the Chiocchi.'

He graduated!
Just five days before this interview, Beste graduated (with a 9.5!), playing the Chiocchi cello. At first, he wasn’t sure whether he should perform the recital on the new cello, since he’d only had about a month to get to know the Chiocchi. Beste: “But I took the risk! Among other pieces, I played Shostakovich’s Second Cello Concerto. Fortunately, the jury said the instrument sounded great!”

Was it hard to say goodbye to Larissa's cello?

“I don’t miss the instrument itself, but I do miss the ease with which I played it. An instrument is actually like a map that you slowly draw out: where are the right positions, how do you achieve the right intonation? With the Chiocchi, I still need to build up that confidence and ease. I know it’s going to take time, but luckily I also enjoy that challenge!”

You've graduated now. Do you have a lot of plans to look forward to?

“I actually already have a lot of projects lined up! For example, on July 19, a series of concerts will begin at the OPERA Spanga. There, I’ll be performing Puccini’s Tosca with an ensemble. I’ll also be performing with another ensemble at a few festivals in Turkey. And I hope to play with a national orchestra there someday. Honestly, I just want to be on stage as much as possible, because I have such a beautiful instrument now. Everyone needs to hear it!”

ABO Duo with İdil Yunkuş
Did you know that Beste forms a duo with violinist İdil Yunkuş? She plays a Johannes Theodorus Cuypers violin (The Hague, 1800) on loan from the Musical Instrument Fund. According to Beste, the Cuypers and the Chiocchi sound great together!

Our Talents

A high-quality musical instrument is often very expensive, but also indispensable. A good instrument fosters the development of talent, inspires, and challenges. By donating to the Musical Instrument Fund, you help provide more than 435 talented musicians with a good instrument that suits them on an ongoing basis. The Musical Instrument Fund and the musicians are extremely grateful to you for this!

Get to Know the Talents