Fabulous viola by Marten Cornelissen, Northampton, MA, 1973, opus 173, 16.5".              Marten Cornelissen was born in 1936 in Apeldoorn, Holland. He is an award-winning luthier and many famous musicians have owned his instruments, including Yehudi Menuhin, Michael Tree, Arnold Steinhardt, and Bernard Greenhouse. 
Cornelissen studied violin-making in the Czech Republic during the Cold War, with Vladimir Pilar. In 1966 he won Silver and Gold Medals in the International Violin-Making Competition for Quartet in Liège,Belgium, 3 years after his teacher won 2nd prize. Soon after, in 1967, Cornelissen relocated to Northampton, Massachusetts, where he lives and has made over 500 instruments over a 55 year career.