- Title: Stradivari violin heads to auction with $12-18 million estimate
- Date: 10th January 2025
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF SOTHEBY'S EUROPE, HELENA NEWMAN, SAYING: "Because Strad is one of those names. It's like a household name for the violin, it's like the Picasso of the violin world. I think everybody has heard of Strad (Stradivarius) as being the acknowledged greatest violin maker of all times. This instrument that is now over 300 years old." VARIOUS OF TH
- Embargoed: 24th January 2025 13:32
- Keywords: Auction Sotheby's Stradivarius Violin
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: UK
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA003199909012025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A violin made by renowned Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari during his 18th century "Golden Period" is heading for auction next month with an estimate of up to a record $18 million.
The New England Conservatory (NEC) is offering the "Joachim-Ma Stradivarius," with proceeds going to student scholarships, fulfilling the wish of musician and NEC graduate Si-Hon Ma, who donated the violin to the music school.
Sotheby's will carry out the sale on Feb. 7 in New York as part of its Masters Week of auctions.
"'Strad' is... like a household name for the violin... like the Picasso of the violin world," Helena Newman, chairman of Sotheby's Europe, told Reuters in London, where the violin went on public display on Friday (January 10).
"We are estimating the violin in the region of 12 to 18 million dollars, which sits comfortably within the record price already achieved for a Strad..."
Stradivari's violins, which can sell for millions of dollars, are known for their exquisite craftsmanship, with the most sought-after from his 1700-1720 "Golden Period."
The 1721 "Lady Blunt" Stradivarius sold for a record $15.9 million in 2011.
Before Ma, 19th century violinist Joseph Joachim owned the instrument. Joachim was a close collaborator of composer Johannes Brahms and "almost certainly" performed on the "Joachim-Ma Stradivarius" at the 1879 premiere of Brahms’ "Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77," Sotheby's said.
The violin will also go on display in Hong Kong and New York before the auction.
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