cello
Johannes Theodorus Cuypers
built in The Hague in 1771
A rare Old Dutch cello, built by Johannes Theodorus Cuypers in The Hague in 1771. The cello is part of the “Willem G. Vogelaar Collection.”
History of this instrument
The Musical Instrument Fund purchased this cello in 2016 from a Dutch dealer thanks to a donation from a private foundation. That foundation made it possible to purchase several instruments, all of which are now part of the “Willem G. Vogelaar Collection.” Since Johannes Cuypers was active from 1750 to 1808, this cello can be considered one of the instruments from the maker’s early period. Its excellent condition makes this instrument truly unique. The Musical Instrument Fund had long had a Cuypers cello on its wish list, but an instrument of this quality combined with these dimensions (some Cuypers cellos are very large) had never before come up for acquisition. Musicians from both the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra were involved in evaluating the instrument’s tonal qualities. Nitzan Laster became the first player of the cello in 2016. Currently, Reinier Wink is the lucky one.
About the builder Johannes Theodorus Cuypers
The Netherlands experienced two periods of prosperity in violin making. The first was in Amsterdam from 1650 to 1728; the second took place largely in The Hague, from 1760 to 1840. This peak was primarily due to the Cuypers family, led...
