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Cello by
Anner Bijlsma
now purchased

The Farotti cello, played for decades by cellist Anner Bijlsma (1934–2019), was recently acquired by the Musical Instrument Fund. Lidy Blijdorp has been playing the cello for the past five years. Today, the NRC reports on the mystery surrounding the instrument.

News
10 March 2021 by Geertje van der Linden

Blonde toon

For the Baroque repertoire, Bijlsma had an old Venetian cello, but he played all other music on this Farotti cello. “In his hands, this cello took on a bright tone, exuding something light and uplifting,” says violinist Vera Beths, Bijlsma’s widow.
Read the full article from the NRC here.

Celebrate

By purchasing the instrument outright from Bijlsma’s heirs, the risk that Lidy—or talented cellists after her—would have to part with the cello has been averted. We’ll be celebrating this purchase, among other things, on Sunday, March 14, at 3 p.m., during the Online Presentation Concert; Lidy and the Farotti cello will be featured in the online concert. Everyone is warmly invited to attend this online spectacle free of charge!


Photo above: Paul van Riel | ANP