4 February 2025, 13:36
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Getty
A Stradivarius violin made in 1714 has the potential to become the most expensive musical instrument ever sold.
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A violin made by the famed Antonio Stradivari in 1714 could become the most expensive musical instrument ever sold when it goes up for auction on Friday at Sotheby’s in New York.
The ‘Joachim-Ma Stradivarius’ has an estimated value of $12 million to $18 million, meaning it could surpass the price tag of the ‘Lady Blunt’ Stradivarius, which sold for a staggering £9,808,000 ($15.9 million at the time) in a private online sale in 2011 and was named by Guinness World Records as the most expensive instrument ever sold at auction.
Read more: Centuries-old Italian violin breaks auction records after selling at £7.71 million
The violin dates from Stradivarius’ ‘Golden Period’, which began around 1700 and was marked by an improvement in his craftsmanship.
“So this is the peak of his output,” said Mari-Claudia Jimenez, Sotheby’s Americas president and head of global business. As reported by ABC News, “This is the best violin of this era”.
The violin takes its name from two of its most renowned owners: Joseph Joachim, the legendary late 20th-century Hungarian virtuoso, and Si-Hon Ma, a distinguished violinist and teacher who died in 2009.
Valuable Stradivarius violin is played before auction
Whoever bids highest will be owning a piece of history as it was on this violin that Joachim performed the premiere of Brahms’ Violin Concerto.
Brahms was a friend of Joachim and was well acquainted with his playing on his instrument, which was characterised by a rich and resonant tone. It is believed that this character influenced his masterpiece as he had the sound of the Joachim-Ma Stradivarius in his head whilst composing.
Si-Hon Ma gained possession of the violin in 1969 and left it to his alma mater, New England Conservatory in Boston after his death. The conservatory has now decided to put the violin up for auction, with all the proceeds going to student scholarships.
