300-year-old Stradivarius violin costs nearly 280 billion VND

A Stradivarius violin made in 1714 was sold for more than 11 million USD (nearly 280 billion VND) at an auction on February 7.

The violin, which Sotheby's described as a "masterpiece of sound," once belonged to the famous Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim in the 19th century, The Guardian reported. It was donated to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston in 2015 after the death of its last owner, Si-Hon Ma, and was expected to one day be sold to fund music scholarships.

The Joachim-Ma Stradivarius violin on display at an auction in New York, USA

The proceeds of the auction will benefit scholarships for young violinists at the New England Conservatory of Music. The conservatory’s principal, Andrea Kalyn, said the time was right to sell the instrument to benefit future generations of students.

According to Sotheby's, the violin's new owner has asked to remain anonymous. The value of the Joachim-Ma violin is second only to its sibling, the Lady Blunt Stradivarius, which sold for $15.9 million in 2011.

The Joachim-Ma Stradivarius violin is one of approximately 600 instruments crafted by the Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari and his family in the 17th and 18th centuries. Most are believed to survive today and are owned by collectors.

American violinist Joshua Bell says Stradivarius violins bring “sonic color” to the musicians who play them. “It’s the overtones and the way that once you get used to the instrument, you can hear variations in timbre that are hard to come by in modern instruments. Stradivarius is not just a name, it’s something very special to the artist,” Bell says.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dan-violin-stradivarius-300-nam-tuoi-co-gia-gan-280-ti-dong-185250208093506319.htm