violin

This exceptional violin was purchased in 1993 from Theo Olof, a benefactor and co-founder of Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds, who had played it for many years. After the purchase, Olof was able to continue playing the violin for some time. After the final transfer, Liza Ferschtman, Dmitri Makhtin, Cindy Albracht, Renate van Riel, Melissa Ussery, and Daniel Leenders were successively granted loans of the violin from the fund. Eline van Dijk has been playing the violin since 2025. The file contains a certificate from Max Möller dated August 30, 1981, in which he describes the violin as “a particularly well-preserved and characteristic example of Pique’s finest work.”

In Olof’s autobiography, *Flarden* (2000), he describes his search for a good violin that suited him and how, for many years, he borrowed beautiful instruments from famous Italian makers: Amatis, Guadagninis, Gaglianos. Most of these instruments came through violin maker Max Möller. Olof also borrowed a Stradivarius from an anonymous benefactor for some time. According to Olof, it was a magnificent violin, but its tone was too small for a large concert hall. Around 1975, Olof received a call from Max Möller, who told him he had found the ideal violin for him: a François Louis Pique from 1797. It was love at first sight—and at first hearing. Olof himself owned a beautiful violin by Lupot, but he wasn’t particularly happy with it. Möller suggested exchanging the instruments on a no-money-changing basis, and Olof gladly agreed. He had found his favorite instrument!

Theo Olof (1924–2012) is one of the most famous Dutch violinists of the 20th century. He was born in Germany as Theo Olof Schmuckler. In the 1930s, he came to Amsterdam from Germany with his mother as a Jewish refugee and, along with Herman Krebbers, Willem Noske, Davina van Wely, and Lola Mees, among others, became a student of the great violin teacher Oscar Back. He proved to be a child prodigy; at age eleven, he performed Paganini’s Violin Concerto with the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Bruno Walter, and at age twelve, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the Residentie Orchestra conducted by Issay Dobrowen. After going into hiding during World War II, he resumed his career. In 1951, he was one of the prize winners at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. In 1950, together with Herman Krebbers, he became concertmaster of the Residentie Orchestra, where he would remain for 20 years. In 1974, he followed Herman Krebbers to the Concertgebouw Orchestra. He retired in 1985.

Theo Olof has been very important to Dutch musical life in many ways. For example, he performed many works by modern composers. Hans Henkemans and Bruno Maderna dedicated their violin concertos to him, and he also performed works by Britten, Rawthorne, Berg, Berio, and many Dutch composers such as Jan van Vlijmen, Ton de Leeuw, Hans Kox, and Oskar van Hemel. Olof also frequently performed with Herman Krebbers. Krebbers and Olof’s performance of Bach’s Double Concerto was legendary. They also performed the double concertos dedicated to them by Henk Badings and Geza Frid. In addition to being a violinist, Olof was a widely read and witty writer and columnist. In addition to autobiographical works (Daar sta je dan, Flarden), he wrote about many musical topics, including the history of the Oscar Back Study Fund. Theo Olof was one of the pioneers of Radio 4 and was a founding member and the first chairman of the Musical Instrument Fund.