In 2006 Jan made a copy of the 1742 "Heifetz" Guarneri del Gesu for Michael Ferri who is currently studying at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Ohio.

LEFT: Jan and Michael at a concerto competition in 2006.

RIGHT: Michael winning the competition with the Spohr No 2 Violin Concerto in 2006.

Michael wrote to Jan about his violin:

        "Dear Jan: The violin is gorgeous - almost impossible to tell (at least for me) from the real 1742 'Heifetz' Guarneri del Gesu. People’s jaws literally drop when I pull this instrument out of its case: 'Oooohhhh … your violin is soooo beautiful!'

        "The sound is incredible. I have had many comments on how rich and powerful it is. It is quite uncanny how it has the tone of the real version - one can, for instance, hear it clearly in Bruch and the other concertos that Heifetz and I play.

        "Its playability is fantastic. It has just the right feel and action for me. The neck isn't too thick or too thin and its angle is impeccable. I can easily reach the high positions on the fingerboard. The violin speaks instantly. The bridge is perfect.

        "Personally, I feel that this violin which you made especially for me is priceless.

        "Your service is invaluable to me, as for the thousands of other people who have come to you with their problems as well as their musical strivings. During my stays with you I have seen dozens of people with everything from huge accidents ('I stepped into my cello') to just needing advice ('My violin creaks when I squeeze it like this: crrrrreakkk...') and you have repaired, tweaked, serviced, adjusted, re-strung, tuned, cleaned, polished, packed and shipped their instruments and given free advice ('Just don't squeeze it like that!'), all in record time.

         "My teacher [Paul Kantor at the Cleveland Institute of Music] is very happy with my violin.

         "Thank you, Jan, I love my violin. - Michael Ferri."

On 1/21/2008 Michael wrote to a previous teacher of his, Yvonne Davila, who had enquired about his violin:

"My violin is a copy by Jan H van Rooyen of the 1742 'Heifetz' Guarneri del Gesu. It's beautiful, has an amazing sound, and people think that it must have cost a whole lot more than it actually cost. It projects like crazy. When I was still playing in an orchestra, people would swear that they could hear my violin over all the rest of them!"

Paganini in the high register.

Michael G-stringing it in the GViolins "Russian Room".

Varnished with Jan's

modified 1704 varnish.

PLAYING JAN'S "HEIFETZ" VIOLIN:

Far left: Professor Alan Solomon, Long Island, NY.

Left: Professor Aaron Krosnick, Jacksonville, FL.

Michael's mother, Vicki Lonowski, wrote: "The Heifetz violin is great!
It is amazing how much Michael's violin sounds like the real one!"

Click here and then scroll down to see more about Michael Ferri and his custom-made violin.