Violin Maker Thomas Meuwissen - Brochure 2016 (ENG) by Thomas Meuwissen

For more information : www.thomasmeuwissen.com thm@thomasmeuwissen.com The workshop is open on appointment. Musical Instruments Museum Hofberg 2 Montagne de la Cour B-1000 Brussels · Belgium T +32 473 20 99 53

THOMAS MEU W ISSEN BRUSSELS

Maker of fine Violins, Violas and Cellos

photography

Michel Cooreman

Mirjam Devriendt

Yves Gervais Jimmy Kets Milo-Profi

Sheila Rock

Jan RĂśhrmann

Synergy International

Rudi Van Beek

Camilla Van Zuylen typography

StĂŠphane de Schrevel

With special thanks to

‘Creating new instruments that tune the rich legacy of the past to the needs of today’s musicians, reconciling tradition and science, craft and arts, history and personality.’ — Thomas Meuwissen

Violin Maker in residence at the Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels

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As of 29th May 2015, the Musical Instruments Museum boasts an extraordinary curiosity: the 7th floor of Old England, the beautiful Art Nouveau building located on Montagne de la Cour in Brussels, has now turned into Thomas Meuwissen's professional violin making workspace. Here, the master violin maker is creating an entire string quartet for all eyes to see. This creation of two violins, one viola and a cello was assigned to him by the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. The quartet is to be ready in 2017, when the Queen Elisabeth Competition of that year will be the first of its kind forÂ cellos.

Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel (Waterloo)

Musical Instruments Museum (Brussels)

Made by Meuwissen and his assistants, the Music Chapel intends to place the instruments at the disposal of its gifted students from around the world. That is why this prestigious mission was assigned to Meuwissen, whose work is internationally held in high esteem. The visually open workshop is located within the admission free part of the Musical Instruments Museum.

Born in Louvain in 1966, Meuwissen grew up into a family of eminent engineers, architects, scholars and entrepreneurs. Fascinated by sculpture and architecture, Meuwissen initially took an art course, where his love of materials and craftsman ship gradually took shape. He was trained as violin maker at the Newark School of Violin Making and perfected his skills in the workshops of Premysl Špidlen in Prague and Fréderique Chaudière in Montpellier. Since 1987 Meuwissen has been working exclusively on the production of high quality modern and baroque violins, violas and cellos. His work includes antiqued copies of instruments by old Italian masters. His many years of experience as a violin maker enable him to make effective adjustments to the sound of clients’ instruments. In addition to this, he has a worldwide reputation to conduct sound adjustments to some of the finest instruments of our musical heritage. He considers sound paramount in the whole manu facturing process. Wood is selected carefully for its individual acoustic and static properties. His study of the effect of different models, arching and even varnish on the sound, allows him to create instruments that meet the musician’s requirements in every respect. The result is an evenness of tone, ease of response, and a direct and focused sound. His instruments have a rich tonal quality and colour that enable the musician to express himself and communicate his ‘music’. They possess an open sonority, rich harmonics and considerable power so that solists will effortlessly stand out against orchestral playing. What is more, it brings with it a valuable sound potential that will develop even more over the years as a result of the musician’s playing.

Over the years, Meuwissen has built up an international clientele and his instruments are played by soloists, including Igor Oistrakh, Vadim Repin and Maria Kliegel. His instruments are held in several private and public collections: Royal Conser vatory Brussels (Be), Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel (Be), Conservatorium van Amsterdam (NL), Hochschule für Musik und Theater ‘Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’ Leipzig (De), Beckett Collection (UK), Muziekinstrumentenfonds (NL), Dextra Musica (No). He is currently also working on a cello for the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, a commission by Valery Gergiev, director and conductor of that same theatre. Meuwissen has won awards at various international violin making competitions: t Concours de lutherie et d’archèterie de Paris

(Bronze, 1999) t Concorso Antonio Stradivarius, Cremona (Distinction, 2002) t British Violin Making Association Competition, London (Honorary mention, 2004) t Violin Society of America Competition (Certificate of Merit for Workmanship, 2004) t Internationale Geigenbauwettbewerb Mittenwald (Silver, 2005) t Strad Cello and Bow Making Competition, Manchester (Silver, 2007) t Violin Society of America Competition (Certificate of Merit for Sound, 2008) t Violin Society of America Competition (Certificate of Merit for Sound and Workmanship, 2010) Meuwissen is an elected member of ‘l’Entente Internationale des Maîtres Luthiers et Archetiers d’Art’ since 2006.

— Igor Oistrakh · violinist “Besides playing on my old Italian violin, I am also often playing on my wonderful Meuwissen violin which has a beautiful, flexible sound, a deep G-string and a brilliant E-string. My colleagues and audiences highly appreciate the instrument. I have seen and tried several of his violins, which were all made with real mastery and have a full, nice, round sound.’”

Violin, details of a copy of the ‘Von Szerdahely del Gesù · 1736’, made for Vadim Repin.

— Vadim Repin · violinist “I have known Thomas and his violins for some years now. His talent and dedication to violin making is very impressive. The violin he made for me has a very full, warm and juicy sound, and definitely its own personality. Bravo!” Copy of the ‘Von Szerdahely del Gesù · 1736’, made for Vadim Repin.

— Maria Kliegel · cellist

Professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne

“I have seen several cellos built by Thomas Meuwissen from different years. Just like the Meuwissen cello I play, they all show superb individual quality. Excellent craftsmanship, beauty of shape and varnish, as well as a flexible sound, convince me completely. The instruments respond easily to the player, the dynamic ranges are wide. The sound is full-bodied and projects in a concert hall. If the player has musical fantasy and technical ability, he will find all the colours he wants to produce.”

Cello, silver medal Manchester 2007

— Valentin Erben · cellist

Alban Berg Quartet

“Today there is an important group of violin makers whose instruments offer a real alternative for those of the great masters of the classical period. Thomas Meuwissen is in my opinion a valuable representative of this generation. He possesses great knowledge and empathic power, artistic craftsmanship and a confident instinct for the material. While playing his cellos I was convinced of the happy matching of power, elegance and playability as well as the beauty of the sound. I recommend all my colleagues who are interested in new instruments, to get in touch with this remarkable violin maker.”

— Sigiswald Kuijken · baroque violinist

La Petite Bande

“I have always been struck by Thomas’ drive, his love and passion for the trade, his great professional approach. Over the years he has developed his undeniable talent meticulously and with care. His work carries the traces of this mental approach and his strong personal involvement. Excellent craftsmanship … Captivating!”

Viola, personal model in Cremonese style, played by Diederik Suys, Viola Solo of the Orchestre du Théâtre National de l’Opéra de Paris

— Harro Ruijsenaars · cellist

Former first solo cello Concertgebouw Orchestra · Professor at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and the University of Göteborg

“I don’t hesitate to call him one of the major talents in violin making of our time. The wonderful cello he built for me bears witness to his unique gift to combine the great heritage of the old Venetian masters with the skills of today, all this resulting in an instrument that shows its quality in sonority as well as design. I will follow his development with keen interest!”

Viola, detail of a copy of Andrea Guarneri, ca. 1670

— Olsi Leka · cellist

Cello Soloist of the National Orchestra of Belgium and cello Professor at the Brussels Royal Conservatory

“His instruments’ quality and refinement astound me time and again. What makes them immortal is the love for the craft of violin making and the passion for tradition. Attention to the smallest detail brings forth their outer beauty and a wealth of tonal colour.”