This Times of India Jaipur article discusses Daniel Dodds, an Australian-born violinist and artistic director of Festival Strings Lucerne, who carries a 1717 Stradivarius violin worth upwards of Rs 65 crore and why such instruments are highly valuable and closely watched.
The Violin Channel reports Beares Auctions, London, set a world record for the most expensive violin bow sold at auction. The silver and ebony mounted bow by Francois Xavier Tourte was bought for US $288,960, and is believed to have been previously owned by Bronislaw Huberman, with BH engraved on the ferule.
An 1825 silver and ebony mounted violin bow by luthier François Xavier Tourte sold at Beares in London for the equivalent of $288,960, the highest price ever paid for a bow at auction. The bow is believed to have been owned by Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman and bears his engraved initials on the ferule. The same sale included 39 other musical items and the total raised exceeded $2.7 million.
The Violin Channel reports a 2010 Marten Cornelissen cello stolen in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on October 25. The instrument was valued at about US $40,000 and was in a silver Accord hard case with a Dacunha and an unlabelled cello bow inside; owner left it unattended outside the Renaldo House Museum of American Art.
The Newsweek article discusses how many people find old violins believed to be Stradivari, with Stephanie Culp Smith discovering an instrument labeled Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis; the piece notes authorities recovered Roman Totenberg's Stradivarius 35 years earlier and warns that genuine Stradivarius violins are rare and documented, with only about 650 believed to exist.
The Tri-City Herald piece discusses a reader’s claimed Antonius Stradivarius violin from 1744, labeled Made in Germany, and explores whether it is genuine or a reproduction. The article provides three categories of news about such instruments: Good News, Disappointing News, and Maybe Really Good News, starting with the case made by Lifton of New York and dating from 1920–1940, estimated at $500–$800 in excellent condition.
CBS Los Angeles reports Glendale police seek help locating a stolen maroon 2007 Acura ATL with a valuable antique cello in the trunk. The cello, labeled Antonio Domenicelli Fecit en Ferrara 1714, is valued at more than $1 million and is owned by Cameron Stone, a Hollywood studio musician. A $1,000 reward is offered for information leading to recovery.
Ceridwen Davies, a musician who regularly plays with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, appeals for the return of her stolen viola from her car in St Kilda West. The instrument has personal and professional significance, having been owned since 1998, and is identified by a sticker and an engraved bow by AR Sandner, with the case described as damaged. Davies is currently using a loaned viola while hoping for recovery.