the process of acquiring

and lending—that’s something

I’m still

really passionate about

Advisory Board

The stacks of Haydn quartets are laid out on the table, and the music stands next to the grand piano are set up. Jan Verheugt rubs his hands together with anticipation: tonight is the night again, and he and three others will immerse themselves in the music he loves. “What could be more delightful than playing Haydn with kindred spirits? These quartets represent the pinnacle of chamber music; I could lose myself in them endlessly.”

And that is exactly what Verheugt does—in true Italian style—on a 1673 Ruggieri violin. His love of music and his knowledge of stringed instruments have made him an indispensable asset to the fund over the past twenty-four years. Now that Marcel Schopman has stepped down as director of the Musical Instrument Fund, Verheugt also felt it was time to step down as vice chair of the Supervisory Board. He will, however, remain a member of the Advisory Board. “Marcel and I have always been thick as thieves. I’m very happy to stay in touch with the Musical Instrument Fund through the Advisory Board. The fund has a special place in my heart.”

Verheugt is sitting at his kitchen table in Buitenveldert; the birds are singing, and a gentle breeze is blowing in. Nevertheless, things can get heated when Verheugt, a former judge, talks about the grain of a Bergonzi or his own instrument. Then superlatives and the names of famous luthiers fly thick and fast. “Ruggieri was Stradivarius’s neighbor, but my instrument still has a bit of an Amati-like quality—you can tell by the shape of the f-holes and the distance between them.”

“As a young boy, I lost my heart to music and the violin, and that was all thanks to my violin teacher, Hedwig Rodriguez, whom I’ve always adored. An amazing, inspiring woman! She was married to Max Rodriguez, a cellist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Later, their instruments were added to the collection of the Musical Instrument Fund. And it was through Hedwig that I ended up at the fund. She had said, ‘I’d love to entrust my instruments to you, on one condition: that Jan Verheugt takes good care of them.’ I’m still grateful to her for that.”

Musical Beauty

“Through my teacher and her husband, I discovered the beauty of antique instruments. How do you recognize a good instrument? What about the type of wood, and what kind of varnish was used? In school—I attended Ignatius College in Amsterdam—I didn’t pay much attention to any of that because I just wanted to make music. At one point, the Jesuits told me I’d have to put that violin aside for a while. I was beside myself, but I kept going to violin lessons—without an instrument. We studied music theory and delved into instrumentology, just to stay engaged with music. That was a great learning experience for me. I was incredibly curious. In the orchestras where I played, I asked everyone how old their instrument was, how much it had cost, and so on.”

Passion

“My passion for the Musical Instrument Fund stems from a combination of my love for beautiful instruments and the idea that you can help young talents get an instrument. There’s also a touch of romance to it: you’re contributing to someone’s development, and those musicians might go very far with the opportunities the fund offers them. After all, the fund is the ‘Bank of England’ of beautiful instruments, so they certainly have something worth playing.”

“The process of acquiring and lending instruments—that’s something I’m still passionate about. I was absolutely delighted when we were able to purchase Herman Krebbers’ violin a few years ago; that was a highlight of my time with the foundation. Krebbers played a Bergonzi, and it was truly a cause for celebration when it was subsequently loaned to Maria Milstein. Her tone is incredible. This violin has a dark, pure, elegant sound—it’s a marvel. “Wait, let me show you something.” Verheugt picks up a book about Bergonzi and, page after page, admires the color photographs of the front and back plates. “This hurts my eyes; I could almost cry when I see something so beautiful, and I don’t know why. The color of such an instrument, the warmth it radiates, the way the wood has been crafted. And the strange thing is: a violin that looks this beautiful also sounds beautiful. Go listen to the world’s greatest musicians at the Concertgebouw: when Frank Peter Zimmermann, Nikolaj Znaider, or Anne-Sophie Mutter play their Italian violins there, the building resonates for days afterward. They fill the entire hall.”

“I’ve always felt more like a musician than a lawyer. I’m friends with many musicians. On the Supervisory Board of the Musical Instrument Fund, I was also a bit of an odd one out, with that combination of insight into legal texts and my very personal feel for the instruments and their history. As a member of the Board, I didn’t bring money or connections to the table, but I did contribute expertise in my own way, along with passion and enthusiasm.”

Flowering Period

“I’ve been fortunate to witness the Music Instrument Fund’s tremendous growth. Since Wim Dik took office as board chair in 2001, and Marcel as director a few years later, the fund has made remarkable strides toward becoming the healthy organization it is today. Their dedication cannot be praised highly enough. You could call it quiet diplomacy; I’m not sure if outsiders fully realized just how much work Marcel put in. He was really an invisible hand—but he was always there, and always there for everyone personally. I admired that immensely.”

“A great deal of thought goes into how the Musical Instrument Fund can function most effectively. For example, we amended the bylaws not too long ago: at Wim Dik’s suggestion, a so-called six-year term was established. Every six years, we check whether a borrower is still actually playing the instrument. If someone has put their music studies on hold, for example, the instrument would have to be returned to the Musical Instrument Fund—a simple but useful check. This way, we can be sure that all the instruments are being used appropriately.”

A love of Baroque music

“Another thing I find important is that the Musical Instrument Fund awards annual commissions to Dutch luthiers. This results in fantastic instruments and helps promote Dutch violin making.” Verheugt laughs: “My fondness for the old Italian instruments, on which I love to play Baroque music, remains strong. The authentic aspect of making music—it’s that sincerity that appeals to me.” I recently took a course on Baroque music in Tübingen, Germany—it was very interesting. When it comes to Baroque music, there’s always great respect for exactly what’s written in the score, even more so than with contemporary music. How can we best approximate the sound and style of that era, and immerse ourselves in those times? We know nothing for certain, but we can try to get as close as possible. My motto has always been: you should try to play Baroque music as if it were written yesterday. The ink isn’t even dry yet, and we’ve forgotten that Brahms and Shostakovich lived after the Baroque composers. We invite Handel to take a seat in the audience, and he should be delighted by what we’re doing—that’s the idea.”

“For me, this—and this is partly a matter of sentiment—is connected to the violin-making of the past. You can tell if a violin comes from Cremona; I’m somewhat familiar with the secrets of that sound. How did they manage to do it? The varnish was of the utmost importance, but the theories are endless. What happened in Cremona three hundred years ago was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and incomprehensible. I don’t know how much space you have, but I could talk endlessly about the beauty of these instruments.”

Jan Verheugt was born in 1946 in Amsterdam and studied law in Groningen. He was a professor of law at the University of Groningen and at Leiden University, and from 1989 served as a judge in Arnhem and Amsterdam. He retired in 2016. In 1994, Jan joined the board of Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds. After 24 years—during which time he served as vice chair of the Supervisory Board—he is stepping down. Jan will remain affiliated with the fund as a member of the Advisory Board.