Stradivarius violin poised to break auction record at $18 million
Sotheby's is auctioning a Stradivarius violin from 1714, which could become the most expensive musical instrument ever sold at auction, potentially reaching a price of $18 million.
The auction house Sotheby announced that it would auction the Stradivarius violin on Friday, known as the "Joachim-Ma Stradivarius," dated 1714. According to the Polish Press Agency, the value of this exceptional instrument is estimated at $12 to $18 million. If the price reaches the upper limit, the violin may break the record set in 2011 by another Stradivarius violin—the "Lady Blunt" from 1721, which was sold for $15.9 million.
The president of Sotheby’s Americas, Mari-Claudia Jimenez, emphasized that the violin comes from the "Golden Period" of Stradivarius’s work, which began around 1700. The instrument is well-preserved, and its ownership history adds to its prestige.
This represents the pinnacle of his work. It is the finest violin of this period, Jimenez noted in an interview with AP.
Exceptional violin heads to auction
"Joachim-Ma Stradivarius" comes from two outstanding violinists: Hungarian virtuoso Joseph Joachim and Si-Hon Ma, a Chinese musician who settled in America in 1948. Some believe Johannes Brahms composed his "Violin Concerto in D major" with this instrument in mind, inspired by its rich sound. Joachim premiered this piece in 1879, playing on this very violin.
Si-Hon Ma acquired the violin in 1969. After his death, it was entrusted to the New England Conservatory in Boston, where Ma earned a master's degree in 1950. All proceeds from the auction will be allocated to a scholarship fund for students of this institution.
According to the MP4 service, it is estimated that between 450 and 512 Stradivarius violins may have survived to our times. However, it is impossible to determine the exact number, partly due to the appearance of forgeries being mistakenly recognized as originals.
