We’ve all heard of Stradivarius and Guarneri, but mainly only that they’re really expensive and made by the finest craftsmen in the violin-making game. But of all the violins that these masters made, which are the most famous? We’ve looked through the violin archives to find out which are the most famous – and valuable – violins in the world, and which top violinists own and play them now.
The most famous violins in the world
The Lipinski Stradivarius
Tartini wrote his ‘Devil’s Trill’ Sonata for the Lipinski. It’s now played by the Milwaukee Symphony’s leader Frank Almond, from whom it was once stolen in an armed robbery in 2014.
1734 ‘Hercules’ Stradivarius
The Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe preferred to perform on his Guarneri, leaving his Stradivarius in its case while on stage. Stolen in 1908, it was later found at a Parisian dealer and is now part of the Israel Philharmonic’s collection. It also features in our list of the most expensive instruments ever.
1703 Guarneri ‘Filius Andreae’ Cremona
After he acquired a Stradivarius, Joseph Joachim passed his Guarneri to Felix, the youngest child of friends and collaborators Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann.
1713 Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius
Twice stolen from Polish violinist Bronisław Huberman. In 1919 it was taken from his Vienna hotel room but returned days later. It then went missing from his dressing room in 1936 while he was performing. It was lost for nearly half-a-century, before a certain Julian Altman confessed on his deathbed to having bought the stolen violin for $100. It’s now in the possession of US violinist Joshua Bell.