The news covers Sotheby’s London auction house hosting a ceremonial handover of the Guarneri Es-Vetan violin to Russian businessman and collector Maxim Viktorov. The violin, made by Guarneri del Gesù in 1741, was previously owned by a private collector for over a century and was associated with the Belgian composer Henri Viétan; its sale price was not disclosed. The event will feature young British violinist Chloe Henslip performing, with a concert in Moscow planned for March 22, 2008 with Pinhás Zuckerman and the Bolshoi Theatre orchestra.
David Garrett, a concert violinist nicknamed the David Beckham of the classical violin, reveals that he accidentally smashed his rare 18th-century Guadagnini violin after tumbling downstairs; the instrument San Lorenzo, priced at $1 million in 2003, is undergoing restoral costing at least £60,000, with no guarantee it can be repaired.
Pinchas Zukerman will perform on a newly purchased Guarneri violin in Moscow; Maxim Viktorov reportedly paid a record price for the instrument at a private London auction conducted by Sotheby’s, though the sale price was not disclosed.
The Telegraph reports that a Guarneri del Gesu violin, once owned by Henri Vieuxtemps, sold for a world-record price of around £3.5 million in London. The instrument had not been seen or played in public for over 70 years, and was associated with violist Chloe Hanslip in accompanying imagery.
The article reports that violinist David Garrett tripped and fell while leaving Barbican Hall, fracturing his 18th-century Guadagnini violin valued at about US$1 million. Garrett says he bought the 1772 violin for US$1 million in 2003 and hopes it can be repaired; if not, he hopes his insurance will allow him to buy another great violin.
David Garrett, a violin prodigy, had an 18th century violin in a case over his shoulder in London when he fell down stairs and smashed the instrument, reportedly worth a million dollars.
The article reports that world-famous violinist David Garrett slipped and fell, damaging a valuable Stradivari violin known as San Lorenzo, made by Antonio Stradivari about 290 years ago. Experts estimate restoration could cost up to 80,000 euros; Garrett has since been lent another Stradivari violin from Milan and now has three bodyguards accompanying him.
The article covers a fundraising auction at East Kentwood High School where over 20 redesigned violas, violins, cellos, bass violins, and a guitar were sold to benefit Pinewood Middle School Orchestra and fund music programs. East Kentwood High School students, led by Le Tran and with help from Robin Bloomberg of Baroque Violin Shop and local shops Meyer Music and Guarneri House, transformed discarded instruments into artwork, some even becoming furniture like a bookshelf or TV rack.
The article reports that at Orio al Serio Airport, customs officials intercepted two very valuable old violins destined for Canada and the United States. Each violin was in a separate parcel, labeled as contemporary and of modest value, but inspection revealed their antiquity and they were seized. The violins’ cases bore labels with year of manufacture and names of 19th-century Cremonese and Neapolitan luthiers; the sender was charged with customs attempted contraband and violation of cultural heritage protection laws.