The “Feintuch” Bellarosa

Gerald S. Feintuch (1942-2000) was an up-and-coming conductor whose life was cut tragically short at the age of 58. Gerald earned his BA and MA in composition and conducting from Queens College, and then went on to study viola with Leonard Davis, Principal Violist of the New York Philharmonic, and studied conducting with Leonard Bernstein, Wilhelm Furtwängler, and Herbert Blomstedt. He later served as music director of orchestras in Hershey and Altoona, Pennsylvania, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. His personal violin, made in Naples by Vittorio Bellarosa, was donated to Guarneri Hall in his memory by Dr. Paul Feintuch and Karen Feintuch, Gerald’s brother and sister-in-law, to be used for the growth and enjoyment of young musicians.

The ‘Feintuch’ Bellarosa is built on a Gagliano model. The two-piece back and head are made of the same attractively figured wood. The top is of two pieces of choice spruce. The violin is covered with a vivid orange-colored varnish of a soft texture, laid on a yellow ground coat. The date on the original label has faded and become illegible, but the work is typical of the maker’s mature production from the early 1960’s.