Fré Lantinga donated her
her precious violin
'As a little girl, I studied violin at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. I couldn't afford a violin of my own, so I borrowed one for a long time. Until 1959, when I had saved a thousand guilders, and my father added the same amount. Finally, I could buy my own instrument! With my Montagnana from 1745, as the label stated, I played in the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra for many years from 1960 onward.'
‘My violin was always my sounding board, until a few years ago when my hearing deteriorated and the pitches were no longer accurate. I lost my joy in playing. The violin remained untouched. A friend from the orchestra told me she had left The Netherlands Musical Instrument Foundation in her will, which inspired me to do the same.
Many years later, I decided to donate my Montagnana to the foundation. This way, the instrument would be preserved for the Netherlands. I also wanted to prevent the violin from disappearing abroad. An expert through the foundation examined the Montagnana and determined that my violin was built around 1750 by Gregorio Antoniazzi in Colle, Italy. Very few instruments by this luthier are known, which makes it a unique and valuable piece.’
‘“BY DONATING MY VIOLIN,THE INSTRUMENTWILL BE PRESERVED FOR THE NETHERLANDS”’
‘I hope the future player enjoys the violin as much as I once did. If there's a suitable match between a talented person and my violin, the foundation will organize a “thank-you concert” in the apartment building where I live. My sisters and I are already looking forward to this special afternoon.’