We wave goodbye to
violinist Noa
Wildschut
Noa Wildschut was only 11 years old when she first knocked on the door of Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds. She is now 23 and has won prestigious awards and collaborated with leading national and international musicians. She achieved all of this while playing instruments from our collection, but now she is closing that chapter.
Audinot, Grancino, and Peccatte
It may feel like it was just yesterday, but it’s already been more than ten years: in November 2012, Noa signed her first loan agreement with the Musical Instrument Fund. A bow by Jacques Audinot, made in Paris in the 20th century, touched the young violinist’s heart. A few months later, Noa was also enchanted by an Italian violin, built by Giovanni Battista Grancino in 1714.
After seven years of enjoying playing the Grancino violin, Noa was ready to take the next step. She tried a Guadagnini violin (Parma, ca. 1764), but it didn’t click. However, she continued to play on a Peccatte bow from the fund’s collection, which she chose over the Audinot in 2017.
“The Grancino violin, the Peccatte bow, and I have been through so much and traveled so far together… Memories and lessons I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”
Moving forward on my own
For the past year, Noa has been playing a Guarneri del Gesù violin on loan from the Stretton Society. Although the Peccatte bow from the Musical Instrument Fund was a good match for the violin, she tried out other bows here and there, including one made by Nicolas Léonard Tourte. According to Noa, the Tourte and the Del Gesù clicked right away: she was able to draw even more tone and resonance from the violin.
Noa: “The Grancino violin really helped me grow as a musician… and the Peccatte bow taught me a great deal, too.” We hope that the Peccatte bow from our collection will soon help nurture a new musician, and that the Tourte bow will be an inspiring and challenging addition for Noa and the Del Gesù!
Engagement
During her years as a musician playing an instrument on loan from the Musical Instrument Fund, Noa performed at our events on several occasions. Together with her uncle Yoram Ish-Hurwitz (pianist), she performed at the 2016 Presentation Concert at no fewer than four locations: Delft, Zwolle, Eindhoven, and Amsterdam. Finally, in 2022, she performed at the Benefit Concert for Ukrainian refugees alongside mezzo-soprano Olivia Vermeulen and pianist Thomas Beijer at the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ.
Noa also took part in our legacy campaign. Check out Noa’s “gratitude” here.
Flying the Nest
We are always delighted when musicians “spread their wings”—that is, when they return their instrument to the Musical Instrument Fund and continue playing on another instrument that has come their way. After all, it’s very important to us to see musicians shine on stage with an instrument that suits them. The Peccatte bow will soon have a new player; the Grancino violin has been played by Jeroen Dupont since 2020.