In January 2009, the Musical Instrument Fund loaned me an exceptionally beautiful violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, dating from 1829. Since July 2022, I have also been playing a Baroque violin from around 1710 by the Amsterdam luthier Pieter Rombouts, which I traded in for a Boumeester/Kleinman in June 2026. I also regularly borrow a Baroque bow from the fund.
I was a member of the EnAccord String Quartet when, in January 2009, we received two violins and a viola by the Parisian luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume on loan from the Musical Instrument Fund. Wow! I still play that wonderfully beautiful instrument from 1829.
Since 2014, I’ve had a part-time position with PHION, and since 2023, I’ve served as associate concertmaster.
I also play with Anima Eterna Brugge—as concertmaster and leader of the second violins—and with Ensemble Pygmalion. These orchestras perform on period instruments. The Penta Quintet, a string quintet founded in 2020, of which I was a member until 2026, also performs on historical instruments.
It’s a pleasure to note that even with gut strings, the Vuillaume sounds absolutely wonderful and brilliant… but… since July 2021, I’ve had a second instrument on loan from the fund! First, a beautiful Pieter Rombouts from 1710 in its original condition, which I exchanged in June 2026 for an instrument that suits me even better: a Jan Baumeester from 1675 labeled “Cornelis Kleinman” (1656).
