A priceless violin from three centuries ago, once belonging to composer Niccolo Paganini, will feature at a leading UK classical music festival.
The Carrodus violin, one of only about 150 surviving pieces by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu, was purchased for $20 million by a philanthropic group in June.
Created in 1743 in Cremona, northern Italy, it will debut at the BBC Proms, played by South Korean violinist Inmo Yang.
This historic violin, once owned by the Italian virtuoso Paganini, will be showcased on August 28 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
“Having this instrument feels like a stroke of incredible luck. It’s undoubtedly one of the finest ever made,” Yang shared with AFP during his Proms debut.
“I feel responsible to maintain the violin’s quality and produce beautiful music, proving these instruments should be played rather than stored in museums,” he continued.
The Stretton Society, which loans rare instruments to top musicians, has entrusted the violin to Yang. The society is committed to acquiring valuable instruments for leading artists.
Stephan Jansen, the society’s co-founder, remarked that Guarneri, like Antonio Stradivari, was a pivotal violin maker. While Stradivari crafted for the Church and nobility, Guarneri’s violins, renowned for their rich tones, were made for musicians.
“Inmo ranks among the most talented musicians of his time,” Jansen told AFP.
The violin’s sound is “quite unpredictable,” he added, offering a “capricious nature that enlivens the music.”
“It feels spiritual to think Paganini played this violin, and audiences are eager to hear his compositions on his own instrument,” Yang noted.
