Bas Treub
violin
Bas Treub is a Dutch violinist. He is the concertmaster of the Phion Orchestra and also serves as the section leader of the second violins in the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. He also performs frequently both at home and abroad with various ensembles.
It was 2007, the year I first came into contact with the Musical Instrument Fund as a young conservatory student. I was looking for a violin that would help me advance in my studies and give me a lighter tonal palette than the violin I was playing at the time. I was able to try out a number of violins at the time, and I remember that the connection with the French violin built by Emile Germain was immediately evident. Since then, I’ve continued to play the Germain all these years, and it hasn’t let me down a single day.
Admittedly, the relationship with an instrument isn’t always easy, but at some point you reach a place where you know what you can expect from each other. Over the years, there have been countless moments when I’ve had to perform under intense pressure, and it’s during those moments that you literally and figuratively cling to your instrument. The Germain has thus become a loyal friend, and my musical voice has become intertwined with the sound of this violin. I receive compliments about the Germain so often that it no longer surprises me—we’ve become a very close-knit team!
All of this makes it difficult to choose another violin; despite my love for the Germain, I’ve been searching for quite a few years now for an instrument that will offer me new possibilities and a new challenge. I find it hard to let go and have returned many an instrument after extensive research. Still, I remain hopeful that I’ll take the next step at some point, and I’m incredibly grateful to the Musical Instrument Fund for their patience and support during this very personal search!
My violin and I can be heard on the CD recording I had the privilege of making in 2015 in collaboration with the Musical Instrument Fund—a piece of music about Ferdinand, a peace-loving bull who, unlike all other bulls, doesn’t want to fight but prefers to smell flowers. Listen to this recording here: soundcloud.com/muziekinstrumentenfonds/ferdinand-alan-ridout
