New York: a rare Stradivarius violin designed over 300 years ago by Antonio Stradivari during his golden period was sold on Friday at $ 11.3 million during an auction in New York, according to Sotheby’s.
“This extraordinary violin represents the ultimate in crafts and history of classical music, its unrivaled sound and its agitated origin captivating collectors and musicians,” said Sotheby president, Mari-Claudia Jiménez in a press release .
He said the buyer had chosen to remain anonymous.
Known for its extraordinary sound, the “Joachim-Ma Stradivarius”, named after its former distinguished owners, has become the third most expensive musical instrument ever sold at auction.
The most expensive record belongs to another Stradivarius, the “Lady Blunt”, which was sold in 2011 for $ 15.9 million.
“What distinguishes the Joachim -Ma Stradivarius is its exceptional sound – rich, complex and full of depth,” said the auction house.
The instrument belonged to the famous Chinese violinist and Si-Hon Ma pedagogue, who, before his death in 2009, donated the violin to his Alma Mater, the New England Conservatory in Boston, provided that one day he Sell the violin to finance scholarships.
Before that, the violin belonged to the Hungarian virtuoso of the 19th century Joseph Joachim, who was famous for his collaborations with composers such as Johannes Brahms.
