cello

In 2006, the Musical Instrument Fund commissioned Brussels-based luthier Thomas Bertrand to build an instrument. We were able to secure funding for this project thanks to a donation from the Dioraphte Foundation.
Once the cello was completed, Thomas Bertrand requested permission from the Musical Instrument Fund to enter it in the 17th “International Competition of the Violin Society of America.” The Musical Instrument Fund agreed, and Bertrand shipped the cello to Baltimore, where the violin-making competition took place. And with success, as the jury unanimously awarded the cello the “Golden Medal,” the highest possible distinction for both craftsmanship and sound. Thus, with this cello, Bertrand became the first Belgian violin maker to win a gold medal among an international field of 48 violin makers. Irene Enzlin was the first to receive the cello on loan. Since 2025, Antonio Dorado Salguero has been playing the Brussels cello.