violin

The history of this violin can be traced back to shortly after World War II, when Willem Gehrels “treated himself” to the beautiful Cuypers. Willem Gehrels (1885–1971) developed a love for the violin at a young age during music lessons at the Municipal Teacher Training College in Amsterdam. Gehrels went on to become a versatile schoolteacher, but continued to practice music at the same time. His love for the violin and music in general led him to eventually enroll at the “First Private Music School and Conservatory Belinfante-Van Adelberg.”

In addition to the violin, he also studied choral conducting with Sem Dresden and devoted some time to composition. In 1915, he earned his diploma as a violin teacher, after which he decided in 1918 to devote himself entirely to music. Conducting, in particular, proved to be a natural fit for him. He soon led several choirs and founded the First Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra “De Phoenix.” He also served as a choral conductor at the National Opera for a number of years.

Gehrels was deeply committed to making music education accessible to all children and founded the Stichting Volksmuziekschool (now the Muziekschool Amsterdam) in 1931. His initiative had a major impact on music education in the Netherlands and ultimately led to the establishment of General Music Education in 1942. With a grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science, the Gehrels Institute was founded in 1947. In 1968, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in literature from the University of Amsterdam for his contributions as an educator.

Gehrels purchased the Cuypers violin in the early 1950s, after he had built up some savings thanks to his successful career. His daughter, Florrie Hillenius-Gehrels, still vividly remembers that string quartets were often played at home, with her father playing first violin. She also clearly recalls that he referred to the purchase of the Cuypers as “a gift to himself.” After his death in 1971, the violin remained in the family, which loaned it to the Oskar Back Study Fund for a long period. When the fund’s instrument collection was dissolved in 2009, the Musical Instrument Fund seemed the best home for the Cuypers. Raphaella Engelsberg was the first to play the instrument; since 2016, the violin from The Hague has been in the hands of Leonid Nikishin.

Sources: Mrs. Hillenius-Gehrels and article from the Amsterdam Music School and article from Social History.