Later this year, if all goes well, the Niemisto family will enter the ranks of collectors who own a quartet of stringed instruments by an individual maker. In this case, the maker is Laurence “Larry” Anderson, one of eight artists in residence at the Greenbelt Community Center.
The Niemisto parents, Eleanor (a harpist) and Paul (a low brass player and orchestra conductor), are based in Minnesota where Paul taught for many years as a professor of music at St. Olaf College. There they met Larry some 35 years ago, when he was an apprentice to violin maker David Folland. They commissioned Larry’s own first violin for their daughter Anna, who was a teenager at the time. The instrument has a secret – a small photograph of Anna glued into its interior. Anna later transitioned to the viola, and the family commissioned a second instrument for her. Her sister Maija later worked in the shop, and Larry credits her with having helped him to make a violin for her. Their brother Tom plays a cello that Larry restored. This year, Larry is building a new cello for the family, with delivery planned for the summer. “This cello represents a generational scope to my career,” he notes. The new instrument may be played by Tom or Anna’s son Rowan Tilley. Rowan’s older brother Fynn now enjoys playing Anna’s violin, sometimes accompanied by his mom on viola and Rowan on cello.
Larry notes that the four instruments of the string quartet form “the foundation of the modern orchestra, established in the 18th century by Franz Joseph Haydn.” The two violins, viola and cello provide the basis for the harmonic structure of orchestral music. Paul adds that the range of the instruments in a string quartet is also roughly analogous to the range of the human voice, from soprano heights to bass depths. “For me personally,” Larry says, “it is thrilling to know that I will have a quartet in the possession of one family.”
Anderson offers instrument repair services as well as commissions. Those fortunate enough to visit his Greenbelt studio when the Community Center reopens may also enjoy a glimpse of one of his “just for fun” personal projects, such as an ornate piece of furniture, a sculpture or a pictorial panel.
For more information about the City of Greenbelt Artist in Residence Program, visit greenbeltmd.gov/arts.
