violin

In 1995, a private individual loaned a number of instruments to the Musical Instrument Fund, including this Möller violin. The collection of instruments was named the “Chapiro Collection” in honor of the bequeather, Fania Chapiro, a composer and pianist.

Chapiro was the daughter of the Ukrainian Jewish violinist Naum Chapiro and the Dutchwoman Dorothea Cornelia Mulié. The family moved to Paris so she could study piano. In 1939, the family was on vacation in the Netherlands but was unable to return to France due to the threat of war. Her father had to go into hiding, and Fania stayed in The Hague with her mother, where she performed with the Residentie Orkest. Because she refused to join the Nederlandsche Kultuurkamer, she was forced to give illegal living-room concerts.

Chapiro studied composition with Sem Dresden. After the war, the family moved to the United States, where Chapiro met Leonard Bernstein and gave a concert with Jurriaan Andriessen. In the 1950s, she returned to the Netherlands and became a principal instructor at the Muzieklyceum in Hilversum. She also founded the Dutch Mozart Trio and focused on authentic performance practice. She continued to make CD recordings and give concerts right up until her death in 1994.

Jeffrey Bruinsma was the first violinist to play the Möller. He was followed by Peter Grond, Babette Beertema, Aija Reke, Sybren Holwerda, and others. The violin is currently in the possession of Marthe van Wonderen.