In 2009 the Stradivari Foundation has launched the “ Friends of Stradivari” project, an international network bringing together people who possess, use or keep in custody instruments of the Cremonese classical violin making tradition, as well as people who study them, love them or just want to support he promotion and development of the violin making tradition from a cultural standpoint. Over the last few years more and more music lovers, collectors or museums have joined our network, thanks to their participation, it has been possible to promote many projects and especially the loan of the instruments.

Next year one of the most important project will start. From January 16 to June 5 2016 the Fondazione Museo del Violino Antonio Stradivari, with the project “friends of Stradivari” network, will display at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), Phoenix ,Arizona, USA, some of the most important masterpieces of the classical Cremonese violin making tradition that are now displayed in the rooms of the Museo del Violino.

The instruments that will be displayed at the MIM are:

violin “Carlo IX” 1560 c., Andrea Amati

violin “ Principe Doria” 1734, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù

violin “ Violino piccolo” 1802, Giovanni Battista Ceruti

violin “Violino Barocco” 1941, Simone Fernando Sacconi

cello 1985, Primo Pistoni

violin 2003, Jan Spidlen

viola 2012, Ulrike Dederer

Some of the tools, patterns, internal mould from Stradivari’s workshop, also displayed in room 6 at the Museo del Violino since 2013, will be temporary on display at the MIM. Multimedia workstation will give the visitors the chance of listening the music played on the instruments on display. Will be organized also an exhibition focused on the wood used for the making.

During the exhibition there will be concerts played with the instruments on loan.

Thanks to the cooperation with the MIM, people from all over the world will have the chance to admire our wonderful instruments and discover the Cremonese violin making tradition.

The violin “Prince Doria” 1734, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, joined the collections of the Museo del Violino.
The violin belongs to a private collection and it’s now displayed in the museum as part of the “friends of Stradivari” project, a worldwide web of people who love the Cremonese violinmaking tradition. It is now  displayed in the “Treasure box” room.

The restorer and historian of violin making Gregg Alf, member of the Museo scientific board, presented the history of the instrument.
The earliest historical document for the Prince Doria “ del Gesù” goes back to 1858 when it was sold by the leading French expert at the time, Jacquot, to the Doria Family.

The Prince Doria has had few owners in the past 150 years: Rembert Wurlitzer, Leopold Godowsky Jr., Lionel Perera (for Zui Zeitlin) and the current owners.

The Prince Doria Guarneri is widely regarded as one of the best sounding concert violin remaining by this maker. The outstanding tone qualities of the  instrument have been confirmed during Massimo Quarta , winner of the Paganini Award, short performance. The varied writings of ” Recitativo e scherzo”  by Kreisler gave the solist the chance to show the rich expressive polychromy of the Guarneri.

Two study meetings will take place at the Museo del Violino: Saturday 17 October in the morning there will be a study meeting with Fausto Cacciatori and Gregg Alf; Sunday 18, in the Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi, the violinist Lena Yokoyama and the piano player Diego Maccagnola will be the protagonist of a special performance.

The Cremonese debut of “Prince Doria” is  accompained also by an important scientific work, the publishing of the technical drawings of the instrument with all the measurements and big format pictures. The folder is on sale at the bookshop.