The article discusses Pekka Kuusisto, an internationally successful Finnish classical musician, and his access to a unique Cremonese violin made by Guarneri del Gesù, a violin believed to be about 100+ years missing. It mentions a secret audition in Helsinki’s Musiikkitalo and comparisons with other high-profile instruments such as Elina Vähälä’s Amati, Jukka-Pekka Saraste’s Napolitan Ferdinand Gagliano, Jaakko Kuusisto’s Venetians Goffriller, and Kuusisto’s own Guadagnini.
The article reports that a Stradivarius violin, one of the few remaining from the maker, was stolen from American musician Roman Tottenberg in 1980 and has been found in the United States. Tottenberg died in 2012, and his family plans to auction the instrument under the condition that it be sold to a buyer rather than a collector.
The story concerns the LGT Young Soloists, led by artistic director Alexander Gilman, who were denied boarding by Singapore Airlines over the checking of Stradivarius violins; Lufthansa later transported the group back to Zurich. Singapore Airlines issued a statement about an internal review of the incident at Hong Kong airport on December 6.
The Violin Channel reports a stolen viola, labeled Giovanni Grancino, Milan, 1696, taken from a Philadelphia home on Hamilton Street, Powelton. The instrument was made in Paris in 1790 and bore the label Giovanni Grancino, Milan, 1696; three laptops were also stolen. The owner has possession of the viola since 1978 and the instrument case was found discarded the next day.
The article discusses Ned Steinberger, known for designing electric guitars for Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Eddie Van Halen, and now electric violins, a viola, and a cello. It notes the DaPonte String Quartet incorporating Steinberger’s electric instruments into performances and mentions holiday concert venues in Winter Harbor, Boothbay Harbor, and Newcastle.
The event announces three musical masterpieces arriving from the Glinka National Museum Consortium of Musical Culture in Moscow to Cremona: a rare 1715 Stradivari viola, a 1742 Guarneri del Gesù violin, and a 1611 Amati brothers viola da gamba. They will be exhibited from December 18 after a preview on December 17 in Cremona, with comments from local officials and experts including Paolo Bodini and Bruno Giuranna.
The prized viola stolen from Philadelphia musician Nancy Drye was found smashed in a vacant lot on Haverford Avenue in West Philadelphia. The instrument, possibly made in Paris in 1790 and last appraised in 2008 for $9,000, belonged to Drye, who plays in the University of Pennsylvania Orchestra, and she describes it as an irreplaceable family member.
The article discusses the theft of a 1715 Stradivarius violin from Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Frank Almond after he was tasered. It notes the violin’s value at $5 million, the surrounding suspects including Salah Salahadyn and Universal Knowledge Allah, and the involvement of a Tasers’ serial-number tags in the investigation.
Linzi Stoppard and her electric violin band FUSE debuted 24 carat gold plated violins created with Theo Fennell. The news highlights Linzi Stoppard’s international performances and the collaboration that produced the gold violins adorned with rubies, diamonds and sapphires.