A Stradivarius violin crafted in 1714 sold for $11.25m (£9.1m) at a New York auction on Friday, missing the world record for a musical instrument that some predicted it might break, but still securing a solid financial future for a new generation of performers.
Three-hundred-year-old Stradivarius violin sells for $11m in New York Proceeds from sale of 1714 instrument will be used to fund scholarships for violinists at New England Conservatory.
“It’s kind of the overtones and the way once you get to know the instrument, you can find these tonal varieties that are very difficult to find in a modern instrument,” said Bell, who has owned a Stradivarius for more than 20 years.
It was gifted to the New England Conservatory in 2015 following the death of its most recent owner, a former student, Si-Hon Ma, with the understanding it would one day be sold to fund musical scholarships.
Andrea Kalyn, president of the conservatory, said the instrument had been a prized possession, and that a handful of students had enjoyed the privilege of playing it, but the school ultimately felt the time was right to sell.
