The most expensive violins in the world are something of a marvel. These unique violins are made from older wood, which gives them a one-of-a-kind sound. Violins can last for generations and have their value only increase.
The violin and other instruments that use a bow to make sound are called bowed string instruments. The violin's ancestors are the rabab and rebec, two Arabian instruments that were played throughout Europe in the fifteenth century.
The violin appeared in 1550. The first known violin makers were artisans from Italy: Andre Amati from Cremona and Gasparo di Salon. Violins made by these artists are still in existence, and the oldest known violin was crafted around 1565 by Andre Amati.
People are willing to spend millions on violins that are several hundred years old because of the instrument's history and pitch. As violins age, their tune grows more profound, and they start to sing. The violin has a way of moving you that most other instruments are incapable of.
Here is a list of the 20 most expensive violins around the globe.
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1. Messiah Stradivarius 
Price: $20 Million
The Messiah Stradivarius is the most expensive violin in the world, reaching a price of $20 million.
It was priced so high because of its maker, Antonio Stradivari. Stradivari made the Messiah violin in 1716 and continues to have some of the most sought-after violins worldwide.
He created several patterns of violins that other artists have copied and his designs are still loved by many musicians. During his career, Antonio crafted the Messiah Stradivarius, and it stayed with him until he died in 1737.
Today, it's at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, where it's admired for its craftsmanship and mint condition. It looks like it has always been a collector's piece and is called the Messiah because it wasn't expected to appear.
2. Vieuxtemps Guarneri
Price: $16 Million
One fun fact about this precious violin is that it's older than the United States. Imagine being able to hold and play an instrument that has more history than your country. No wonder this recently became the second most expensive violin in the world.
This violin was named after its owner, Henri Vieuxtemps, the 19th-century Belgian virtuoso and composer. He loved his violin so much that he wanted to be buried with it. Even though this was his wish, the violin was never buried.
It changed owners and was in storage for the past 50 years, only to make its debut in the 21st century, played by Meyers in the song, The Four Seasons: The Vivaldi Album.
3. Lady Blunt
Price: $15.9 Million
Aside from the Messiah, the 1721 Lady Blunt violin is one of the best-preserved violins to date. “The Lady Blunt” violin is one of the most expensive because it is one of the two least used Stradivarius violins ever.
The last time Jean Baptiste Vuillaume made any alterations to the violin was in 1864. Already owning an over century-old violin, Vuillaume understood the value and craftsmanship of the Lady Blunt violin.
The original neck was extended, but the fingerboard still has remnants of the original varnish that Stradivarius used while finishing this gorgeous, one-of-a-kind violin. The Lady Blunt has hopped around from one private collection to the next, with all owners understanding its beauty and nearly untouched condition.
4. Carrodus Guarneri
Price: $10 Million
The Carrodus Guarneri, made in 1743, is one of Guarneri del Gesu's most beautiful instruments and the most expensive. Guarneri del Gesu was considered among the top violin makers in sound and power in the instruments he crafted.
This violin got its name from the violinist John Carrodus, a previous owner. The current owner of this multi-million dollar violin is Richard Tognetti, the head of the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
The sound of the violin is unique because it is deep and melodic. Interestingly, this violin and that of the Il Cannone are both crafted from the same type of wood and came from the same log.
5. Ex-Kochanski Guarneri
Price: $10 Million
This violin, the Ex-Kochanski Guarneri, was made by Guarneri del Gesu in 1741. It's one of Guarneri's most delicate and most expensive violins to exist. It is unique because of the varnish's dark red color.
This violin is named after the early owner of the violin, Paul Kochanski, who was from Poland.
Later, it was owned by the violinist Aaron Rosand, an American. He played it for nearly 40 years, until he sold the violin to a Russian collector. Today, the Ex-Kochanski Guarneri is beautifully preserved in a private collection.
6. Mary Portman
Price: $10 Million
The violin, Mary Portman, is another violin that Guarneri del Gesu crafted. It was made in 1735 and is one of a kind because of its hypnotizing sound.
Its age and design are also unique. It is named after Mary Portman, who also created the Kranzbach Castle. Many violinists have played this instrument, which the Arisson Family currently owns. The wealthy family live in Buffalo and own several other rare violins.
7. Lord Wilton
Price: $6 Million
Guarneri del Gesù crafted the Lord Wilton violin. The price tag reflects its age and the fact that famous violinists like Zlatko Balaokovic and Yehudi Menuhin played this instrument.
In 1742 at Cremona, it got its name from Seymore Egerton, also known as the 4th Earl of Wilton. The 19th-century owner was Lord Wilton, and Menuhin owned the violin from 1978 to 1999.
In 1999, a collector, David L. Fulton, bought the violin at the hefty price of 6 million dollars after Lord Wilton's long-time owner, Menuhin, tragically passed away from bronchitis.
8. La Pucelle Stradivari
Price: $6 Million
Also called The Virgin, this violin was created by Stradivari in the year 1709. The Virgin's name was given to this violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume after finding that it had remained spotless after leaving the workshop.
This is one of the most expensive instruments in the world because Vuillaume crafted Joan of Arc into the instrument's tailpiece. He also made the violin's beautifully carved pegs.
9. Dolphin Stradivari
Price: $6 Million
This violin, The Dolphin Stradivari, is an authentic Stradivarius violin made in 1714. In the 19th century, the owner of this violin was George Hart. He wanted to name this violin “The Dolphin” because the shape and color reminded him of a dolphin.
Currently, the Nippon Music Foundation is the owner of the violin, and they have loaned it out to a deserving violinist, Akiko Suwanai.
10. Ex-Szigeti Stradivari
Price: $6 Million
This violin (worth six million dollars) is the Ex-Szigeti Stradivari, also called The Ludwig, a piece that Stradivarius crafted in 1724. In addition to the stunning craftsmanship that Stradivari enthusiasts love, this violin has the phrase, “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis faciebat Anno 1724,” on it.
This inscription means the person that made it (Antonio Stradivari), the town in which it was created (Cremona), and “the year it was made.”
This is one of the most expensive violins and is famous because of its beauty. It has been owned by various people throughout the years.
11. Il Cannone Guarnerius
Price: $4 Million
The Il Cannone Guarnerius, worth 4 million dollars, is a violin crafted by Guarneri del Gesu. It has such power that it compelled Niccolo Paganini to give it its name; it quickly became his favorite violin of all time, which means that it must be unique.
Other names for this violin include Il Cannone del Gesù, Paganini's Canon, and Cannone. Aside from its sound, there are a couple of things that distinguish this violin from the rest. The Il Cannone violin has a curved neck and a shorter, thicker soundbox.
Right now, it is on display in Italy, but musicians like Fodor, Mintz, and Regina Carter have all played this instrument.
12. Molitor Stradivarius
Price: $3.6 Million
The violin that is worth 3.6 million dollars is the Molitor Stradivarius, which was made in 1697. This violin has had many violinists throughout its history. The widely believed rumor was that Napoleon Bonaparte might have owned this instrument, but that turned out to be false.
The owner was actually Juliette Recamier, from Paris. Count Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor is who the violin was named after. The count was also the Bonaparte Army general. After he died in 1849, the Molitor violin stayed in the family for close to 70 years.
13. Hammer Stradivarius
Price: $3.54 Million
The Hammer Stradivarius was named after Christian Hammer. Hammer was a Swedish collector who owned the violin in the 19th century. In 1707, Stradivarius made this instrument during the golden period. Someone would pay this kind of money both because Stradivari made it and because of how beautiful the violin sounds.
Famous musicians have also played this instrument, including Kyozo Takezawa and Bernard Sinsheimer. In 2006, the Hammer was auctioned off to an anonymous buyer for over 3 million dollars.
14. Ex-Ries Stradivari
Price: $3.5 Million
The Ex-Ries Stradivari made this list because, of course, Stradivarius made it. In 1693, he worked in Cremona's little shop, crafting this masterpiece that we can still enjoy today.
For a while, the Reinhold Würth Music Foundation owned the Ex-Ries violin, but in 2008 it was won by Joszef Lendvay, a Hungarian violinist who can now love and cherish it.
15. Lady Tenant
Price: $2 Million
This list wouldn't be complete without the famous Lady Tenant. In 1699, this violin was crafted with curves. After changing owners a couple of times, Charles Clow Tennant bought it for his wife, Marguerite Agaranthe Mile Tennant, as a gift.
And, you guessed it, his wife was the person that this violin was named after.
16. The ‘Red’ or ‘Mendelssohn’ Stradivarius
Price: $1.7 Million
This violin was created in 1720. It was called ‘The Red Violin‘ because of the red hue of the violin. Joseph Joachim played this violin for a while until it seemed to disappear for nearly 200 years before coming back into Berlin's open in the 1930s. Then the Pitcairns got it in 1990.
After that, the violin was then given to their only granddaughter, 16-year-old Elizabeth Pitcairn. This violin's history and its beautiful red coloring were the subject of the film The Red Violin, directed by François Girard. It was made the centerpiece of the film because it captivated them so much.
17. The 1727 ‘Kreutzer’ Stradivarius
Price: €1.5 Million
This violin is named after the French violinist Kreutzer. Beethoven dedicated his ninth sonata for the violin to him. The Kreutzer was designed by Antonio Stradivari in 1727; it was then given to the Duke of Russia, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, and then the U.S. Senator William Andrews – all great collectors of instruments. It ended up being owned by the violinist Maxim Vengerov, who acquired it in 1998.
18. The ‘Dorothy Delay' Guadagnini
Price: €1 Million
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini made this violin in 1778. The violin is named after its previous owner, Dorothy Delay, an American violinist and teacher. She was one of the most successful and unconventional violin teachers of that period.
Her masterclasses were famous around the world. Young violinists came from all around to attend her summer classes and study with her. She was an assistant to Ivan Galamain at the Juilliard School of Music. The Dorothy Delay was auctioned off in 2013 for close to a million euros, which was the highest a Guadagnini had ever gone for.
19. Girolamo Amati Ⅱ Cremona, 1710 “Goossens”
Price: $500,000
Girolamo Amati was the one who crafted this violin that is worth over 500,000 dollars. Some history about Amati: he was the only son that made violins and was born just after his dad's 53rd birthday. By the time his father died, Amati had been a crucial part of the business for close to 20 years.
Meanwhile, Antonio Stradivari had become the leading maker in Cremona and was starting to create his now-famous model of the violin that we know and love.
Although Amati mostly followed in his father's footsteps, he was also influenced by Stradivari. His influence is seen mainly in Girolamo's arches, which resulted in a more robust sound.
20. Nicolo Amati Cremona, 1665 “Hepton”
Price: $500,000
The Hepton was crafted by Nicolo Amati and named after Sir Wilfred Hepton, who bought it in 1910. This violin was then put on display in Cremona. C at the 1937 exhibition. After the exhibition, Wilbur Hoffmann bought it.
This violin is in excellent condition with a beautiful sound – perfect for a musician and a top collector.
Final Thoughts
It might be hard to believe that there's a list of 20 of the most expensive violins in the world, especially since most of them are in great condition and well over 200 years old.
The value of an object is in the eye of the beholder, and there are several reasons why these are close to being priceless. Whether it's the history, the unique qualities, or the sound of the violin, true aficionados are likely to pay more than top price if (and when) they are given the chance.
Some of the most beautiful pieces in the world are worth it just for the look and sound. Violins are not the only instruments that people are willing to spend millions on. Take a look at the most expensive bass guitars for even more musical spending inspiration.
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- https://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/cozio-carteggio/the-lady-blunt-stradivarius-violin-cremona-1721/
- https://www.thestrad.com/lutherie/in-focus-the-carrodus-guarneri-del-gesu/7958.article
- http://www.violinmusicschool.net/mary-portman-guarneri/
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- http://www.reuning.com/violins-over-500k/nicolo-amati-cremona-1665-hepton-violin
