viola

Pieter Rombouts is one of the most important—and possibly even the most important—representatives of the Amsterdam school of violin making from the 17th and early 18th centuries. Instruments by this maker are therefore an important part of Dutch cultural heritage; the Musical Instrument Fund considers it a vital mission to preserve the finest examples of this maker’s work for the Netherlands. Rombouts made violins, violas, cellos, and violas da gamba of a beauty comparable to that of his Italian contemporaries. The sound is generally of very high quality. Rombouts made only a small number of violas, making this instrument a truly rare specimen. Taking all these factors into account, the Musical Instrument Fund was able to secure financial support in 2006 from the K.F. Hein Fund, the Countess van Bylandt Foundation, and the Elise Mathilde Fund to make this purchase. Esther van der Eijk became the player of the viola.