cello

A private individual from Baarn bequeathed this cello to the Musical Instrument Fund in 1996. Experts believe it was built by Jacob Weiss, even though there are very few instruments available to make a reliable comparison. Several leading German experts have examined the cello and found no reason to doubt its authenticity, particularly because of the maker’s highly convincing label. The instrument was formerly played by the cellist and music educator Guillaume Hesse (1898–1968). Since 1996, the Jacob Weiss cello has been on loan to many young musicians. Around 2000, it was fitted with a Baroque setup (different bridge, tailpiece, gut strings, etc.). Since then, it has been used as a Baroque cello. Evan Butter is currently the player of this Austrian instrument.