Jelma van Amersfoort

58, Female

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Profile Information:

About me:
I studied guitar with Tom Burmanje at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and with Gordon Crosskey at the RNCM in Manchester. Masterclasses with Leo Brouwer and David Russell. I graduated as a musicologist in 2013, with a thesis on the composer Pauline Duchambge (1776-1858).

Currently I am working on a PhD about guitar culture in the 1700s (at the Uuniversity of Southampton, UK). I have published articles on guitar history in Early Music and TVNM.

I have been playing 19th century guitars for about 20 years now, after spotting & buying a lovely Mirecourt guitar at a local auction. I have been performing on gut strings, without nails, right from the start. Among other instruments, I own a ca 1830 Franz Brunner (Vienna), a ca 1855 D & A Roudhloff (London), and a Enrique Recio (Cadiz) from 1862.

As a performer, I mostly accompany singers, such as Christopher Kale, tenor, Sigurd van Lommel, altus and Valeria Mignaco, soprano. I teach guitar, lute and ukulele.

Email: jelmaa-at-gmail.com
Website:
http://www.jelmavanamersfoort.nl

Comment Wall:

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  • Ton Bogaard

    Moet het in het engels of could it be in Dutch?

    I am trying to get in touch with Antonio Espinoza from Jerez de la Frontera. Do you have an adress?

    TON

  • George Miller

    I'm a new member and I'm not sure I know the protocol here.

    I have acquired an old guitar from Prague built by Jaroslav Houslar Dvorak from 1888. All I can find in researching him is that he was a violin maker and I have found his violins on the internet selling from 3,500 dollars to 4,500 dollars.  I have never seen anything about building guitars.  The label inside this guitar is the exact same that is used in his violins. The guitar has Brazilian rosewood back and sides and spruce or pine in the top. It is built in the Torres style (larger body than a parlor guitar).

    Anyone have any knowledge of this builder?  Is this guitar rare? I will try and post some photos.

    George Miller

    Sweden

  • Martin Hurttig

    good evening Jelma,

    it was a great plesure to meet you in Ueberlingen. That realy was fun!!

    big greetings from Leipzig

    martin

  • Alfonso Marin

    Thank you Jelma! Are you the admin?

  • nick harrison

    Hi. I would prefer a British restorer as I have some other early guitars that need work doing to them. No one seems to be advertising for work on early guitars, possibly because they prefer building guitars. I would try restoration myself, but know my limitations.

  • Christine Gabrielle

    Bedankt!:-)

    cg

  • John Strain

    Thank you Jelma; I am looking forward to participating on the site.

    Best wishes,

    John

  • Cesar Arias

    Thank you Jelma for your welcome, I'm very happy to join you.

  • Neil Howard

    Thank you Jelma for the welcome, and thank you for asking me to provide more info about my vihuela.

    I've actually only seen it once--it's still at the home of a relative who, having learned that I play (barely!) the guitar, is giving it to me.  What led to my finding this site is that I Googled to try to find info as to whether the vihuela would be put at risk by my having it at my home, which though in a more temperate region than my relative's, doesn't have air conditioning (that is, my home doesn't), and (my home) has only on/off central heating (no thermostat), unlike my relative's home (which has air conditioning and thermostat-based heating).

    I had a brief but relatively good look at the vihuela at my relative's.  It looks, well, like historical-type vihuelas I've now seen at youtube and at this site.  I'll get more info from my relative, as to this vihuela's origin.

    Thanks again!

  • Tony Nugent

    Hi Jelma, just love the Sor Andante Largo Op. 5...the 1834 Romantic guitar sounds wonderful too. I look forward to hearing more. Thanks

  • Edgardo de Dios

    Many thanks, Jelma for the welcome. Hope to explore the site and learn a lot. More power.

  • Robert Mandel

    Thank you! Robert

  • Marcos Pablo Dalmacio

    Thank you Jelma!!!

  • Eldert de Jonge

    Well, Jelma, dat is nog eens een hartelijk welkom! Dank voor dit bericht

  • WOLFGANG PRAXMARER

    Many thanks, Jelma, for your welcome !

    Im am very interested in the discussions and comunication with you and other members.

    Best wishes,

    Wolfgang

  • Ricardo Henrique Serrão

    Hello Jelma! Many thanks for your welcome. I hope that this site have many information about the universe of guitar and will help to explore history of guitar in brazil!

  • Christopher Challen

    Thanks for welcoming me Jelma. I left West Dean in 1987 so I missed you by 5 years! Yes, it was a very spectacular place to live and work.

    Kind regards

    Chris (Challen)

  • Christian Schimanski

    Thank You!
    Christian
  • Christopher Challen

    Dear Jelma, This large guitar was built in 1993 by myself and colleagues in a deserted 12th century Friary in Bristol which I was given the use of. The guitar is based on the 1680 Antonio Stradivari guitar on view in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

    This scaled-up copy weighs ¾ ton and is 10 meters from the tip of the pegbox to end pin. One of its most distinguishing features is its responsiveness and wide spectrum of harmonics from the lower two strings, even though the fundamental pitch is sub-sonic on those strings.

    It made its debut in 1995 on a live BBC Radio 3 broadcast 'Sound Waves' accompanying jazz saxophonist, Andy Sheppard. This instrument was unfortunately lost at Bristol's Temple Meads Old Station in 2001 before I had a chance to make a case for it. Eyewitnesses have reported seeing it in Italy and also Germany, but its current whereabouts are unknown. If you or anybody you know should come across this instrument I would be very grateful if you would let me know. For further information please see the 1995 Guinness Book of Records.

    Regards, Chris.

  • Elly van Munster

    Bedankt! Wat een interessante dingen op deze site!

  • Myer Rosen

    Thank you. Jelma. The community looks very interesting.

  • Franz Quendler

    Dear Jelma, yes quite nice and rare although probably never really playable (frets and string length completely off, difficult neck angle) - made by Ignace Joseph Senft, end of 18thc. This is probably one of only two still extant guitars made by Senft, who was a well known maker of "orgues de clavecins grands et petite et de forte-piano" around 1800. It is still in its (original ?) cardboard case and apart from minor damages due to metal strings in pretty good structural and complete condition. The body is made of wonderful cuban mahagony veneered on the inside with maple. I took off and repaired the broken bridge but have not yet decided how to deal with the neck/string problems.

    best regards

    Franz Quendler

  • Tom Monaghan

    "Hi there, it's something i found deep in cyberspace a few weeks ago. I wish it were on an instrument i owned, though it would need a drink or two."

  • Tomas Fiore

    Hi Jelma, Thank you very much! Regards from Argentina!!

  • Gregory Moberg

    thank you for the warm welcome

  • Davide B.

    Thank you!

  • Ralph Maier

    Thanks!
  • Patrick Broekema

    Hoi Jelma,

    Dank voor de hartelijke begroeting op dit forum en voor het aanbieden van je hulp!

    Het kan best zijn dat ik nog eens een beroep op je doe ;-).

    Veel informatie over Karagantcheff staat inmiddels op mijn website www.karagantcheff.nl. Ik ben nu bezig met het interpreteren van zijn gitaarmuziek en dit komt binnenkort dan ook op de site te staan.

    Hartelijke groet,

    Patrick  

  • Eric Meyer

    I never really played any of my instruments except the one that I specifically  made for myself. I play left handed. I loaned it out to a local  classical player for a while but he didn't take very good care of it so I took it back. I should have sold it but I like to take it out and look at it once in a while. I actually made four Voboam copies and sold three.

    I wonder if you know my old friend Gunther Mark. He makes early instruments near Nuremberg, but he lived in Amsterdam at one time. He watched me make that guitar in Portland so many years ago.

  • Gesine Lübben

    Thank you Jelma! I look forward to discovering your site!

  • Marc S. Silber

    I am restoring a guitar made 1845-1851 by Henry Anton Schatz, in Boston, USA.

    I am looking for a visual and/or dimensions for his origianl design.  This is NOT the typical small Spanish style guitar with 3 fans, but a larger guitar of higher quality with "X" braced top.

    any help will be appreciated.

    thank you,  Marc Silber

    MARC SILBER MUSIC         510-325-0720

    BERKELEY, CA.            www.marcsilbermusic.com

  • Dan

    Thank you Jelma.  Nice of you to send me a greeting.

    Dan

  • Kenneth A Hartdegen

    Why thanks a lot Jelma! I am still trying to get used to what you all do on this great site. 

    Regards, 

    Ken

  • Toon Lauwers

    Dank u Jelma! Mijn, beste wensen voor 2015!

  • Yuri Liman

    Thank you very much for greetings, Jelma!

    Best wishes

    Yuri

  • Sabino Reybal

    Thank you Jelma, I'm sure I learn so much in this wonderfull page. 

  • Bill Eisele

    Thank you, Jelma!  I'm looking forward to exploring the world of early guitar through the EG&V Network.

  • Dr Jack Giles

    Thank you Jelma, I look forward to participating in the activities of the group. Regards Jack
  • Mario Torta

    Thank you Jelma, Great site!
    Kind regards,
    Mario

  • Gregg Miner

    Thanks, Jelma - I was recently invited by my multi-string friend Stanley Alexandrowicz, but I should have signed up long ago!  I'm not sure what I can offer your group but a fascinated, appreciative audience.  I'm (predominantly) a steel-string fingerstyle player, but dabble when I can a bit with everything in the Miner Museum.

  • Toby Chapman

    Many thanks.Toby.

  • Timothy Burris

    Hoi Jelma,

    Arcas, Pujol, Manjon, Llobet, Pujol, Tarrega, o.a.

    T

  • Marten Falk

    Thank you very much!

  • Alan Clark

    Thank you!

    Regards, Alan

  • Ken Hartdegen

    Thanks very much Jelma! Nice to hear from you; still getting it all set up....

  • Guzman Ramos

    Thank you Jelma!

  • Leon de Kroes

    Hoi Jelma, leuk om je hier te zien!. Hartelijke groet, Leon

  • Patricia Butler

    Thank you Jelma for welcoming me to your website. I have recently aquired my first early 19th century guitar after collecting several vintage Spanish guitars. I am eager to learn more about my latest addition and antique guitars in general. I cannot offer any knowledge on your site but look forward to gaining some knowledge. I will post some photos on the forum and look forward to receiving some information on my guitar. Thank again. Pat

  • Stephen Pickett

    yes it was made by Alexander last year

  • Emma Rush

    Hi Jelma! I’m looking for solo repertoire.