Monthly archive
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Source-linked reporting
ici.radio-canada.ca
The article states that a violin found in a warehouse at the New Westminster museum in British Columbia is not authentic. Expert Michael Altshuler suggests it is a pale copy made in a German factory, dating 80 to 100 years. The instrument bears the inscription Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1727 and is valued at 2 to 3 million dollars on the market.
playbill.com
The Playbill article discusses a claim that Benjamin Franklin may have composed an unusual five-movement string quartet written for three violins and one cello, with a score that re-tunes each instrument to create 16 notes to be played without left-hand fingering. Kenneth Sarch and Bruce Gustafson are quoted regarding the attribution, with Westminster Choir College professor J. A. Kawarsky noted as possessing a copy of the piece.
lakeorionreview.com
Casey Curtis reports that Brianna Kester’s cello, a gift from her father Pastor Jim Kester, was stolen from the sanctuary of First Baptist Church of Oxford on a Friday afternoon. The instrument, made in a small town in Pennsylvania, has not been recovered as of the article date.
planet-musician.com
Peterson Tuners Announces StroboFlip Tuner, a news post on Planet-Musician.com, describes the StroboFlip featuring Virtual Strobe tuning technology and expanded library of 33 tunings. It mentions 1/10-cent accuracy and lists the instruments and setups supported, including guitar, violin, viola, and cello, with accessories and design details. The post directs readers to the Peterson Tuners site for more information.
npr.org
NPR reports that Samuel Thompson, who was in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, revisited the Superdome where he played violin to soothe people amid chaos. The piece notes renovations ongoing a year after the storm and mentions related NPR stories under Katrina & Beyond.
news.wisc.edu
The Karp family marks 30 years of annual Labor Day concerts at UW–Madison and will debut composer Joel Hoffman’s new piece, Karptet, for violin, viola, cello and two pianos. The event features works by Beethoven, Mahler, Strauss and others, and is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Mills Hall, with a reception to follow.
letemps.ch
Renaud Capuçon is mentioned in relation to a Guarneri del Gesù violin loaned by the BSI, highlighting a trend where banks and insurers loan valuable instruments to renowned musicians. Nikolaj Znaider is cited as playing a Stradivarius ex Liebig loaned by the Velux Foundation, illustrating the shift from traditional patronage to instrument lending by private institutions.