This 300-year-old Stradivarius violin could become the most expensive musical instrument ever sold at auction

A valuable violin with a storied past will be sold at Sotheby’s in February – and it could become the most expensive musical instrument ever auctioned.

Known as the Joachim-Ma Stradivarius, the instrument was manufactured in 1714 by Antonio Stradivarithe famous Italian violin maker, during his ‘golden period’ of craftsmanship. The instrument is still in working condition and could sell for between $12 and $18 million, Sotheby’s said. announced this week.

The current record holder for the most expensive musical instrument sold at auction is another Stradivari violin: the 1721 Lady Blunt Stradivarius, named after the granddaughter of British Romantic poet Lord Byron, who preceded $15.9 million in 2011, according to Bloombergby Ed Stapley.

That could change when the Joachim-Ma is auctioned at Sotheby’s Master weeka series of auctions featuring paintings, sculptures and other valuable works of art.

The violin was once owned by the famous Hungarian musician Joseph Joachimwho most likely performed with it at the 1879 premiere of Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D majorwhich, according to the auction house, Brahms performed himself.

“The first time we actually saw the instrument, we were really impressed by its presence,” says Mari-Claudia Jiménez, chairman and head of business development at Sotheby’s. ART newsKaren K. Ho.

The violin’s other namesake is Si-Hon Ma, a celebrated Chinese violinist and teacher who invented the Sihon mute, a device placed behind the bridge of a violin to dampen the sound. It does not need to be removed when not in use, making it “a major improvement over the older stock silencer,” according to its New York Times obituary. Ma bought the Stradivarius violin with the proceeds from the Sihon mute and played it until his death in 2009, per Bloomberg.

After a stint at the Violin Museum in Cremona, Italy, the instrument was donated to the New England Conservatory, Ma’s alma mater. The violin came with the stipulation that it would eventually be sold to support student scholarships.

Over the past nine years, only a handful of senior students at the conservatory have been able to play the valuable violin, says Andrea Kalyn, president of the New England Conservatory. Bloomberg. “It was an extraordinary experience for them,” she adds.

In a statement, Sotheby’s described the Joachim-Ma Stradivarius as having an “exceptional sound: rich, complex and full of depth.”

“The tone is both sweet and round, with a richness that seems to grow with every note,” says the auction house. “There is a warmth to the sound, with an underlying depth that gives it a unique character, making it far from ordinary.”

Although future generations of New England Conservatory students won’t necessarily be able to play the 300-year-old violin, they will still benefit from its sale. Proceeds will help establish some of the largest named scholarships in the conservatory’s history.

Who will provide that future scholarship money? Jimenez says Bloomberg that the unique artifact can attract buyers from different backgrounds.

“This isn’t just something a violin or instrument lover would want,” she says, although she adds that it would be ideal if the buyer wanted to play it. “This is for anyone who wants to own something that is the best of the best, the most special or the most special of its kind.”

In 2022, another Stradivarius from 1714 sold at auction for $15.34 million on Tarisioan auction house specializing in fine instruments.

Instrument enthusiasts and other audiences will have the opportunity to see the Joachim-Ma Stradivarius with their own eyes. Ahead of the sale at Sotheby’s New York in February, the violin will be exhibited in London and Hong Kong, with further exhibitions to be announced.