viola
Jan van der Elst
built in Dordrecht in 1997
A viola, built by Jan van der Elst in Dordrecht, 1997. Model: Andrea Guarnerius. Body length: 41.7 cm.
Current player
Arina Kuchmina
from Jan van der Elst
History of this instrument
In 2001, the Musical Instrument Fund purchased this viola from luthier Jan van der Elst, with funding from the Dijkverzwaring Foundation. Judith Wijzenbeek was the first to play the viola, followed by Laura Kok. Lisa Eggen then played this Dordrecht-made viola for eleven years. Currently, Arina Kuchmina is the instrument’s proud owner.
About the builder Jan van der Elst
As a child, Jan van der Elst was particularly fascinated by the shape of the violin. Later, he earned a living for several years as a violinist in the Celtic folk music scene and, from 1986 to 1989, trained as a violin maker in Newark,...
