My name is Wendel de Bruijne, and I was born on January 23, 2009. I started playing the violin at a very young age. Since February 2023, I’ve been playing the violin I received from the Music Instrument Fund, and I’m very happy with it.
My Violin Career
I was born on January 23, 2009. When I was three, I attended weekly “music on your lap” lessons taught by one of my mother’s colleagues. My mother is a flute teacher. In those lessons, we got to try a different small instrument every week. The week I got to play a one-stringed bowed instrument, a beaming smile lit up my face. That’s when I started taking violin lessons. I took lessons for 9 years at the Accademia Filarmonica violin school. I followed the Suzuki method there. I first took lessons from Inki Varga for six years. After that, I took lessons from Johannes Lievaart for three years. In March 2021, I took the entrance exam and was accepted into the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. I always knew I wanted to be a violinist. My brother Timen is also in that program. Because of that, I knew how much fun it was there and how good the lessons were. So I wanted to go there too! I’ve been at the conservatory since September 2021, in the Young Talent program. I also attend school there, at the School for Young Talent. That way, I can combine school and playing the violin, and it’s so much fun!
Highlights
Some of my favorite memories from what I’ve experienced so far are:
In 2015, I got to play with Lucas Jussen at a benefit concert.
In 2016 and 2021, I performed with Rosanne Philippens.
In 2018, I performed with Jong Talent at Theater Figi in Zeist, with my brother and sister as a piano trio. We were featured in the newspaper for that.
I won first prize at the Amstelveen Music Competition in 2019.
I competed for the Iordens B Prize in 2022.
In 2025, I won an encouragement prize at the Princess Christina Competition.
In 2026, at the Dutch Violin Competition, I won the prize for the best performance of “Lux” by Karmit Fadael and received second prize at the Davina van Wely Competition.
I am very grateful for this 😊
The Musical Instrument Fund
At the beginning of 2023, my teacher told me I needed a full-sized violin. My brother Timen has an instrument from the Musical Instrument Fund. That’s how I came to know about the fund, and I wanted a violin from it. The fund offered me a wide selection of beautiful violins. I chose a violin by an anonymous maker. It has a beautiful, clear, and warm tone. I’m very happy with it. With this violin, I can produce an optimal sound and a beautiful core to my tone. I was able to take 11 different bows home to choose from. The bow I ultimately chose was made in 2004 by Thomas M. Gerbeth in Vienna. It makes my violin resonate even more and gives my sound a beautiful brilliance. Technically, it’s also excellent. I am very grateful to the Musical Instrument Fund!
