Sietse obtained a violin from the Dutch musical instrument foundation NMF (Nationaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds), specially made for him by Mathijs Heyligers in Cremona in Italy.
The making of this violin was achieved in a very personal manner. During his lessons with famed masterviolinist Ruggiero Ricci in Cremona, Sietse visited Dutch violinmaker Mathijs Heyligers. Impressed by Sietse’s violinplaying, Heyligers suggested making a violin for him. After consent by the Dutch National Musical Instruments Foundation (NMF), Heyligers went at work. He selected some beautiful pieces of wood with a magnificent sound. Out of those one had a really outstanding wonderful sound. Sietse had also expressed his wish for a violin with a Guarneri type sound. At a following visit to Heyligers’ Cremona workshop, Sietse was enabled to make a choice out of the pieces of wood selected by Heyligers. He indeed prefered the specific wood with the remarkable sound as also selected by Heyligers. Thus the Andrea Guarneri 1662 copy was being made. Also Heyligers ads a special, remarkable lacquer layer. Spring 2003 Heyligers brings two violins to his Amsterdam atelier for Sietse to make a choice. He immediately choses the Guarneri model. Welknown violinists like Jeroen de Groot and Natasha Morozova already praised the wonderful sound of this new violin. Its sound will certainly develop the coming years while being played on.
