Stolen violin reunited with owner two years later

Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra violinist Petrus de Beer, of Bellville, has been reunited with a violin that was stolen from the boot of his car in a CBD parking lot in July 2022.

A search for the violin, which included putting it on social media and reporting it to the police and the media, failed to turn up the instrument.

Wally and Beatrice van Staden, of Kloof Nek, who bought the violin at a flea market later in 2022, were preparing to move out when they decided to research the value of the violin and saw Mr De Beer’s message on Facebook, the orchestra said in a statement.

The couple contacted Mr De Beer and gave the violin back to him on Sunday September 8, which was also the 13th anniversary of his mother’s death. The violin was a last gift from his mother, the orchestra said.

Mr De Beer was so grateful to be reunited with the instrument that he decided to donate another violin to Corban Beukes, 16, of Brackenfell, who is a member of the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth, a youth development project of the orchestra.

Corban performed in the Youth Classical Concert of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and Artscape on Saturday night.

Corban said: “I have a passion for classical music, and through the violin, I'm able to express this feeling.”