Columbus orchestra purchases rare $1 million violin
By Jennifer Hambrick / For WOSU Classical 101
“A rare, 300-year-old violin recently purchased by the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra and said to “elevate” the orchestra’s sound will make its first Columbus appearances in two Neighborhood Concerts this weekend.
Made in 1709-1710 by the Venetian luthier Francesco Gobetti, the violin was purchased by ProMusica from the Chicago-based rare instrument dealer and restorer Bein & Fushi for use by ProMusica’s current and future concertmasters. A portion of a $1 million transformational gift to ProMusica from an anonymous donor funded the acquisition.
“How this all came about was an incredible surprise,” said Janet Chen, ProMusica’s CEO. “This was unsolicited and just took my breath away. And the donor’s intent was that a significant portion of the gift go towards acquiring an instrument.””
Read more: https://news.wosu.org/2023-02-23/columbus-orchestra-purchases-rare-1-million-violin
