Violinist Vilde Frang has spent over four years searching for her perfect instrument, which she finally has her hands on: the 'Rode' Guarneri del Gesù from 1734. The violin was procured thanks to violin dealer J&A Beare and the Stretton Society, a private philanthropic club. Frang will be loaned the violin as part of this deal on a 'long-term' basis.
The violins created by the Guarneri family are some of the rarest and most valuable in the world. We recently included the 1703 Guarneri 'Filius Andreae' Cremona – played by legendary violinist and Brahms collaborator Joseph Joachim – in our round-up of the most famous violins of all time. This violin, however, was made by Giuseppe Guarneri, whose father was Andrea Guarnerius, the head of the Guarneri dynasty. It was Giuseppe Guarneri's son, Bartolomeo Giuseppe – known as 'del Gesù' – who created the instrument now owned by Vilde Frang.
Frang's new violin has been played previously by virtuoso violinists including Pierre Rode, Norbert Brainin and, most recently, Kyung Wha Chung.
Violin dealer J&A Beare take the role of a matchmaker, using their international network to source these top instruments and assess their worth.
Read all our reviews of Vilde Frang's recordings here.
