$30 million Stradivari viola becomes national treasure in the US

A 335-year-old Tuscan-Medici viola made by Stradivari has become a national treasure and is housed in the US Library of Congress.

The Tuscan-Medici viola is preserved in the Library of Congress . (Source: Library of Congress)

One of the world's oldest and most valuable musical instruments, the Tuscan-Medici viola crafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1690, has just been officially donated to the US Library of Congress. With a valuation of $30 million, it is considered the most expensive musical instrument ever valued globally.

At a concert at the Library of Congress in May, violist Roberto Díaz, president of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, performed with the instrument without knowing its value. “I never thought about the number. Its value is too great to realize,” he said after the performance.

Viola player Roberto Díaz, President of the Curtis Institute of Music, plays the Tuscan-Medici viola during a concert. (Source: TNS)

Roberto Díaz has had a deep connection with the viola for nearly 15 years, using it to record composer Jennifer Higdon’s concerto on his 2018 double-Grammy-winning album.

The donation of the violin is the result of two major gifts to the Library of Congress. Collectors David and Amy Fulton donated $20 million to help the Library acquire the violin from the Baird family-owned Tuscan Company. The Baird family also sold the violin for $10 million below its market value.

“This is a precious piece of cultural heritage and thanks to this donation, the instrument will continue to be preserved and performed for the public,” said Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford, who is responsible for the management, conservation, research and presentation of the Library of Congress’ musical instrument collections.

Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford holds a Tuscan-Medici viola before a performance by Roberto Díaz. (Source: TNS)

Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) is believed to have made more than 1,100 string instruments, of which only about 10 violas are known to exist. This rarity makes the Tuscan-Medici viola particularly valuable, surpassing even famous violins such as the Lady Blunt, which sold for nearly $16 million.

The viola is often overlooked compared to the violin due to its secondary role in the orchestra, but its deep, smooth, and rich sound wins over the most demanding music lovers. According to Curtis Institute of Music President Roberto Díaz, “the sound of the instrument has a special resonance, brightness, and a radiating effect that experts call the Cremona vortex.”

The viola was originally made for Prince Ferdinando I de' Medici of Tuscany, a prominent patron of the arts, and later passed through the hands of several owners, including Herbert N. Straus, heir to the Macy's department store chain, and later Professor of Music Cameron Baird.

In 1977, Mrs. Jane Baird, Professor Baird's wife, decided to lend it to the Library of Congress, opening a new journey for the piano.

Judy Zhuo (mezzo-soprano), Roberto Díaz (viola – performing on the Tuscan-Medici tree) and Lynn Ye (piano) perform together at the Library of Congress' Coolidge Hall on May 14, 2025. (Source: TNS)

The Library of Congress currently owns six Stradivarius instruments, of which only the Tuscan-Medici viola is allowed to be taken on tour. While it is a challenge to travel with the instrument, Díaz calls it a “great honor.”

“I always carry it with me, even when I go out to eat. I never leave it alone in a hotel,” he shared.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/cay-dan-viola-tri-gia-30-trieu-usd-cua-nghe-nhan-tai-danh-stradivari-tro-thanh-tai-san-quoc-gia-o-my-319071.html