Ames Stradivarius

The Ames Stradivarius of 1734 is an antique violin, made by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona.

[3] The Ames Stradivarius was sold to Polish-born American violinist Roman Totenberg in 1943, for $15,000 (equivalent to $264,000 in 2023),[4] and it was his only performance instrument for almost the next four decades.

It was stolen from Totenberg by his former student Philip Johnson in May 1980, from his office at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, where he was then the director.

After Johnson's death, his ex-wife discovered the Stradivarius in his belongings and attempted to sell it in 2015, not knowing the violin's origin and value.

And once again, the beautiful, brilliant and throaty voice of that long-stilled violin will thrill audiences in concert halls around the world.