Stradivari violin sold for $11.3 million at Sotheby's New York

Sotheby's New York sold the Stradivari Joachim-Ma violin for $11.3 million on February 7, 2025, during its Masters Week. The auction lasted only a few minutes and fell short of the low estimate of $12 million, yet it ranks among the highest prices ever for a musical instrument. Proceeds will fund the largest scholarship in the history of the New England Conservatory (NEC). Before the sale, former NEC student Geneva Lewis performed Bach's Largo for solo violin on the instrument. The violin, crafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1714 during his Golden Period, was donated to NEC by violinist and pedagogue Si-Hon Ma, a 1950s alumnus, with the stipulation that proceeds support emerging musical talent. Previously owned by 19th-century virtuoso Joseph Joachim, a collaborator of Johannes Brahms, the instrument was played by Joachim at the 1879 premiere of Brahms's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77. Sotheby's Chairman Mari-Claudia Jimenez highlighted the global attention and historical significance, while NEC President Andrea Kalyn emphasized the scholarship's impact. The violin toured London and New York prior to the auction, attracting artists, connoisseurs, and collectors.