violin
Raffaele Fiorini
built in Bologna in 1882
The “Louisa van der Velden Violin,” an anonymous violin labeled “Raffaele Fiorini, Bologna, 1882”
Current player
Diana Fakour
from Raffaele Fiorini
History of this instrument
The Musical Instrument Fund purchased this violin in 1998 from a Dutch dealer. The violin is known as “the Louisa van der Velden Violin” thanks to a generous donation from the foundation of that name, which made the purchase possible. Guido Müller (violinist with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra) became the violin’s player immediately in 1998, until he returned it in 2018—20 years later! Cecilia Ziano, concertmaster of the Quartetto Lyskamm and principal second violinist of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, succeeded him. Currently, Diana Fakour is the lucky player of the Bolognese violin.
About the builder Raffaele Fiorini
The violin maker Raffaele Fiorini began his career as a miller at a sawmill near Bologna. Around 1848, he met the Tadolini brothers, who introduced him to the craft of making stringed instruments. Encouraged by them, he built a few...
