300-year-old Unique Violin Will Appear at UK Music Festival

One of the most esteemed violins globally, created three centuries ago and previously owned by composer Niccolo Paganini, is set to be performed at a prestigious classical music festival in the UK. The violin, referred to as the Carrodus, is among approximately 150 instruments crafted by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu that are known to have survived through the ages. It was purchased by a philanthropic organization for $20 million in June. This instrument was made in 1743 in Cremona, northern Italy, and will be played for the first time during the BBC Proms by South Korean violinist Inmo Yang. The violin, once in the possession of the Italian virtuoso Paganini, will be showcased on August 28 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. “I can hardly believe my fortune in having this instrument. It is undoubtedly one of the finest instruments ever created,” Yang, who is also making his debut at the Proms, expressed to AFP. “I feel a responsibility to care for this instrument and produce a beautiful sound so that audiences understand the value of playing these instruments rather than keeping them locked away in a museum vault.” The Stretton Society, a collective of philanthropists, patrons, and sponsors that has lent the violin to Yang, aims to acquire rare and valuable instruments to lend to the world’s foremost musicians. Guarneri is recognized as one of the most significant violin makers in history, alongside the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari, according to the society’s co-founder, Stephan Jansen. While Stradivari crafted instruments for the Church and nobility, Guarneri’s violins were designed for musicians, gaining fame for their rich and resonant tones, Jansen noted. “Inmo is among the finest musicians of his generation,” Jansen remarked to AFP. “When he visited my home and I presented him with the fiddle, it was evident from the very first moment that this was a perfect match,” he stated. “Ultimately, it’s also about chemistry, you know?” Yang is set to perform Pablo de Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy,” which he characterized as “a virtuoso piece for the violin.” The extensive range of the violin contributes to the “strong, at times flirty character of the piece.” The sound produced by the instrument is described as "rather unpredictable," he remarked, and "this somewhat whimsical quality truly adds more vibrancy to the composition." "The notion that Paganini utilized this instrument feels somewhat spiritual, and I believe that audiences desire to experience Paganini's music performed on his own violin," Yang further commented.