Timothy J. Jansma

Last updated June 26, 2022

Tim Jansma (Sept. 13, 1952- October 25, 2016) was a notable contemporary luthier; a maker of violins, violas and cellos. He apprenticed at William Moennig and Son in Philadelphia and graduated from the International School of Violin Making of Cremona, Italy. The original Jansma Violin Shop was in Cremona, Italy and later was permanently established in Fremont, Michigan, USA in 1977.^[1] Jansma instruments are sold around the world to professional musicians and students.^[2]

Biography

Jansma began his training in his father's woodworking shop at the age of 8. He studied violin performance into his college years; his teachers included Walter Verdehr of Michigan State University and Frank Costanza of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He apprenticed at the violin shop of William Moennig and Son in Philadelphia, one of the oldest and most distinguished dealers and appraisers of rare violins, violas, cellos and their bows in the world, founded in 1909.^[3] During this period, Jansma completed his training in string instrument restoration while simultaneously studying and playing upon some of the most notable violins in history. The Moennig shop had acquired much of the Rembert Wurlitzer Co. collection, a fine collection of historically important string instruments.^[4] Jansma was often summoned from his workbench in order to play instruments made by Antonio Stradivarius, Giuseppe Guarneri, Joannes Baptista Guadagnini, Domenico Montagnana, Francesco Ruggeri, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume to name a few. After Jansma completed his training at Moennig and Son, he subsequently enrolled into the International School of Violin Making of Cremona, where he learned Italian violin making techniques and earned his diploma.^[5] As a specialist in tonewoods, Jansma sold Yugoslavian maple and Italian spruce to the Cremonese makers while located in Europe, and later to American makers. As a musician, he performed with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Lansing Symphony Orchestra and West Shore Symphony (now West Michigan Symphony Orchestra). Jansma instruments are made in the Cremonese tradition, implementing age-old techniques from Jansma's early training and from decades of experience in making and restoration.^[6] His instruments are favored by symphony musicians for their sound and ease of response, and by soloists for their penetrating resonance.^[7]

Personal life

Tim was married and had two children, both fine musicians themselves.

Quotes

Competing at every price range - Ko Iwasaki, Bernard Greenhouse and Yo-Yo Ma gather after a concert at the 2000 World Cello Congress and compare a Jansma cello to the 1707 "Stanlein" Stradivari cello:

“Iwasaki excuses himself and collects his own cello, then returns to the room. He too possesses a “Strad,” dated 1727, but this is a copy – one of six he has commissioned from the craftsman Timothy Jansma. This is Iwasaki's favorite copy the one he has brought to the Congress – and the men discuss proportion, dimension, comparing the two instruments. What they do not talk about – though the Stanlein, if sold, would fetch millions of dollars - is price.”^[8]

Note: The Countess of Stanlein Ex-Paganini Stradivarius cello sold for $6million in 2012.^[9]

"Just keep checking Crandell."

Music Advocacy

Tim Jansma served as board member for Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.^[10] He was the string instrument specialist for Interlochen Arts Academy, and appeared as guest speaker for universities, music conservatories and civic organizations.

Stolen Instrument

A Jansma violin was returned to its owner by authorities after it was stolen from a Cleveland hotel parking lot.^[11] Resolving the case was a collaborative effort between local authorities, the media, Cleveland violin dealer Yabing Chen, and public tips to the police.^[12]

Related Research Articles

Antonio Stradivari was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, Stradivarius, as well as the colloquial Strad are terms often used to refer to his instruments. It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, of which 960 were violins. Around 650 instruments survive, including 450 to 512 violins. His instruments are considered some of the finest ever made, and are extremely valuable collector's items.

Stradivarius String instruments built by Stradivari family, particularly Antonio

A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari, during the 17th and 18th centuries. They are considered some of the finest instruments ever made, and are extremely valuable collectors items.

Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume was a French luthier, businessman, inventor and winner of many awards. His workshop made over 3,000 instruments.

The Lipinski Stradivarius is an antique violin constructed in 1715 by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, during Stradivari's "golden period" between 1700 and 1725. There are fewer than 650 extant Stradivarius violins in the world today, and the Lipinski is considered to be a particularly fine example. In 2012, it was appraised at US$5 million.

The Muntz Stradivarius is an antique violin crafted by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737) in 1736. The label affixed to this instrument bears the inscription, “d'anni 92”, possibly handwritten by Stradivari himself. It has also been suggested that Count Cozio di Salabue, a subsequent owner, made this inscription. The Muntz which has a solid reputation for its excellent condition and tonal quality, takes its name from a man who owned it in the late 19th century, H. M. Muntz. He was a collector and amateur violinist who lived in Birmingham, England. The Muntz, among the last of the instruments made by Stradivari, is currently owned by the Nippon Music Foundation.

Sergio Peresson (1913–1991) was an Italian-born violin maker.

Domenico Montagnana was an Italian master luthier based in Venice, Italy. He is regarded as one of the finest violin and cello makers of his time.

Leandro Bisiach was an Italian violin maker, who was born in Casale Monferrato and died in 1945 at Venegono Superiore near Varese.

Giovanni Battista Rogeri was an Italian luthier, who for much of his mature life worked in Brescia. Together with Gasparo da Salo and Giovanni Paolo Maggini, Rogeri was one of the major makers of the Brescian school.

Dimitri Musafia is an artisan maker of violin and viola cases for his own company, Musafia. Residing in Cremona, Italy, he first trained as a violinist, and subsequently as a violin maker at the Stradivari Institute in Cremona, before self-teaching to make cases, beginning in 1983, on the basis of his previous studies.

Arthur Edward Smith, known as A. E. Smith, was an English-born Australian violin and viola maker whose violins and violas are prized for their 'excellence of tone' and 'decorative elements'. According to some musicians, "it is his violas that have the greatest reputation, being easily counted amongst the greatest ever created, regardless of era or nationality."

Lorenzo Storioni is considered one of the last of the classic Cremonese master violin makers/luthiers of the 18th century.

Enrico Ceruti (1806–1883) was an Italian violin maker born in Cremona, known as the last of the great line of violinmakers of Cremona.

Rembert Wurlitzer Co. was a distinguished firm in New York City that specialized in fine musical instruments and bows.

Tarisio Auctions is a web-based auction house that specializes in string instruments and bows. Founded in 1999 with locations in New York and London, its online auctions provide a global marketplace for musical instrument sales.

Nicola Amati, Nicolò Amati or Nicolao Amati was an Italian master luthier from Cremona, Italy. Amati is one of the most well-known luthiers from the Casa Amati. He was the teacher of illustrious Cremonese School luthiers such as Andrea Guarneri and Giovanni Battista Rogeri. While no clear documentation exists for their being apprentices in his shop, Amati may also have apprenticed Antonio Stradivari, Francesco Rugeri, and Jacob Stainer, as their work is heavily influenced by Amati.

The Violin Museum is a musical instrument museum located in Cremona. The museum is best known for its collection of stringed instruments that includes violins, violas, cellos and double basses crafted by renowned luthiers, including Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù.

Vincenzo Rugeri, was an Italian luthier of string instruments such as violins, cellos, and, violas in Cremona, Italy. His instruments are noted for their craftsmanship and tone quality. Vincenzo came from a distinguished family of luthiers, the first of whom was his father, Francesco Rugeri. Despite the local tradition of artisan families laboring together through generations, Vincenzo left the family shop and set up a successful shop of his own in the center of Cremona. Vincenzo was the third son of luthier Francesco Rugeri. Vincenzo's work, like Francesco's, is influenced by Nicolò Amati's Grand Pattern model, however Vincenzo's work was distinguished from his father's by utilizing a lower arch inspired by Antonio Stradivari. An analysis of the body of his work reveals that the quality of Vincenzo's instruments is remarkable, perhaps even more so than his father's. Vincenzo's instruments, though less numerous, are valued at least equal to those of his father. A violin by Vincenzo Rugeri realized $502,320 on October 3, 2011 at Brompton's Auctions in London. Carlo Bergonzi was a distinguished apprentice of Vincenzo Rugeri.

The Le Brun Stradivarius of 1712 is a violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). It is the only violin from Stradivari’s golden period known to have been owned and played by the violinist Niccolò Paganini. When sold at a Sotheby's auction in London in November 2001 it achieved one of the highest prices ever paid for a violin at auction, and became the most expensive instrument in Europe.

References

↑ Grannum, Hugh (30 January 1987). "Maker of music begins with wood". Detroit Free Press.
↑ Thompson, Polly (24 August 1997). "Music Maker: The sounds produced by virtuosos start at a Fremont workshop". Grand Rapids Press.
↑ Maestronet. "William Moennig and Son, Ltd". Dealer. Maestronet.
↑ Walters, Patrick (7 February 2010). "Closing of the famed Moennig & Son violin shop in Philadelphia signals the end of an era". Associated Press.
↑ Nicolini, Gualtiero (1978). The International School of Cremona: Two Score Years of Violin-Making. Cremona, Italy: Tipo Lito Persegani. pp. 93, 104. ASIN B0006E5ZWS.
↑ Todd Mundt Show (21 November 2001). "Interview with Violin Maker Tim Jansma". NPR.
↑ Fox, David K. (August–September 2001). "A Searcher for Sound". Strings. 2. XVI (96): 36–37.
↑ Delbanco, Nicholas (2001). The Countess of Stanlein Restored: A History of the Countess of Stanlein Ex Paganini Stradivarius Cello of 1707. New York: Verso. pp. 4–6. ISBN 978-1-85984-761-9. OCLC 469998008.
↑ Wakin, Daniel J. (22 January 2012). "A Beloved Set of Strings Goes to a Good Home". New York Times.
↑ Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. "2012 Board and Administration". Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
↑ Feran, Tom (28 July 2009). "Olivia Schieber's cherished violin stolen from Solon motel parking lot". The Plain Dealer.
↑ Schieber, Anne (3 November 2009). "Solving a car break-in takes luck". WOODTV8.

https://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/?action=obituaries.obit_view&CFID=4e26dd91-7925-4ef9-89cf-1a36de8daa8f&CFTOKEN=0&o_id=3988640&fh_id=12100