Elsbeth de Jong, viola

Elsbeth is a graduate of the Prins Claus Conservatorium, where she studied with Gisella Bergman. When she was 14 she traded in the violin for the viola and from that moment on the viola became her big passion. She was a member of the Jeugd Orkest Nederland and the Nederlands Jeugd Strijk Orkest, orchestras with whom she has toured frequently to places including Italy and St Petersburg. Elsbeth has won prizes in the Prinsess Christina Competition and the Jong Muziektlaent competition of the Netherlands and has had masterclasses from teachers including Francien Schatborn and Erwin Schiffer. She currently also teaches violin and viola at the Violin School in Haarlem.

10 questions

Who are your favourite 3 composers?

Schumann, Shostakovich and Badings 

Are you a cat or a dog person?

A dog person, I guess 

Who is your favourite film character (and name of the film)?

Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) in ‘You’ve got mail’ 

What 3 foods can you not live without?

Fresh orange juice, really good Mexican food, and pie 

When you were 6, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A lot of things, violinist, dancer, and I wanted to be like my mum.. 

If you could wake up on holidays tomorrow anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I think it would be somewhere in the mountains or sea, like Nepal or just at Vlieland 

What are you non musicals hobbies/interests?

I like to have fun with other people, drink a beer, I like to read, and to make things (like bags and stuff) 

Who is your favourite author?

Marianne Fredrikson 

What are you annoyed by?

People who don’t have their own opinion 

Who are you inspired by?

People who live their lives the way they want, really happy people