viola
Johannes Theodorus Cuypers
built in The Hague in 1776
A viola, built by Johannes Theodorus Cuypers in The Hague, 1776. Body length: 39.8 cm.
History of this instrument
This viola belonged to Max Roosenstein, himself a celebrated violist. In 1996, Roosenstein decided to loan the viola to the Musical Instrument Fund. In 2002, the foundation purchased the viola from him. Cuypers made quite a few violas, but they were usually no larger than 39 cm. With a back length of 40 cm, this viola is therefore quite unique. Since 1996, the violas have been loaned successively to Ernst Grapperhaus, Wouter Schmidt, Barbara van Aalst, and Isabella Petersen. Hannah Strijbos played the viola from 2007 until she returned it in 2023. Since 2025, Teresa Caleiro has been the lucky player.
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...
