What instruments do the great violinists play?
Hilary Hahn is an American violinist who was actually a Suzuki student! She was admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music (one of the most prestigious conservatories in the US) at the age of 10 and has been touring the world since. She is also the founder of the viral “100 days of practice challenge” and shares her own practice videos and tips on Instagram. Ms. Hahn owns two Vuillaume’s, which are said to have the quality of Stradivarius’s but without the price (although they are still very expensive). The instrument she currently plays was made in 1865 and is loosely based on the 1715 ‘Alard’ Stradivari.
Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli violinist who is known not only for his amazing performances but also for his large hands. Mr. Perlman owns the 1714 Soil Stradivarius, considered one of Stradivari’s finest violins. This instrument was played by Yehudi Menuhin for the best part of his career before going to Mr. Perlman.
Ray Chen was born in Taiwan, raised in Australia, and moved to the US at the age of 15 to study at the Curtis Institute of Music. He is very charismatic and his playing has lots of personality. Mr. Chen plays the 1715 “Joachim” Stradivarius violin on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. This violin once belonged to Joseph Joachim, a renowned violinist who wrote several standard cadenzas and edited several well-known violin concertos that we play today.
Joshua Bell is an American violinist known for his amazing performances and extremely passionate playing. Mr. Bell plays a 300 year old Stradivarius, the ‘Gibson ex Huberman’, made in 1713. This instrument was made in Stradivari’s “Golden Years” where it is thought he did his best work. This violin has an interesting story because it has been stolen not once, but twice, from it’s original owner, Bronislaw Huberman. It was stolen for the first time while Mr. Huberman was on tour in 1619 but it was recovered just a few days later. The second time it was stolen was during the intermission of a concert in 1936. Mr. Huberman had to finish the concert on another instrument-a Guarneri. The violin remained lost for over 50 years until 1985 when New York violinist Julian Altman made a death bed confession.
Chloe Chua is a 14 year old Singaporean violinist who is quickly becoming one of the rising stars of our time. Ms. Chua plays on a 1729 violin by Peter Guarneri of Venice on a generous loan from The Rin Collection.
Gil Shaham is one of the greatest violinists of the modern age. He exudes flawless technique combined with an incredible warmth in his playing. He plays the 1699 “Countess Polignac” Stradivarius, which was made in a time where Stradivarius was experimenting with different sizes of instruments. This particular violin is longer than most of his others.
Nicola Bendetti is not only an amazing performer, but also a philanthropist and huge proponent of the arts. She is the founder of the Bendetti foundation which strives to provide equal access to music education to all. Ms. Bendetti plays on a Strad nicknamed “the Gariel” which is worth about 2 million dollars and previously owned by Princess Diana.
Anne-Sophie Mutter is a German born violinist who frequently plays all over the world. Ms. Mutter owns two Stradivarius violins, the Emiliani of 1703, and the Lord Dunn-Raven Stradivarius of 1710, of which she primarily performs on the latter.
Andre Rieu plays on a 1667 Stradivarius violin.
David Garett is most known for his covers of popular music. He plays on a 1736 Guarneri 'del Gesù' violin.
Jascha Heifetz owned several amazing violins, but his favorite to play was a 1742 Guarneri del Gesù. This instrument is currently housed in the San Francisco Fine Art Museum.
