For the press

About Tarisio

Tarisio is the leading international auction house for fine and rare stringed instruments and bows.

Launched in 1999, Tarisio revolutionized the instrument market by combining first-class expertise, the efficiency of internet bidding and a firm commitment to ethics and professionalism. We strive to increase the accessibility of buying and selling instruments for musicians, collectors and members of the trade.

With offices in New York, London and Berlin, Tarisio conducts 8 auctions per year, as well as numerous private sales of high-value items, selling more than 3000 fine instruments and bows to a truly global market.

Notable Sales (View list)

Tarisio has conducted the industry’s highest profile sales in recent years. As of 2023, Tarisio has sold the three most expensive stringed instruments at auction: the ‘Lady Blunt’ Stradivari for $15.9 million in 2011, the ‘da Vinci’ Stradivari for $15.34 million in 2022, and the ‘Baltic’ Guarneri del Gesù for $9.44 million in 2023.

For more detail, please view our Notable Sales page.

Press Policy

We encourage the use of any images that appear in association with our press releases and sales, whether in digital or print format, on condition that copyright is acknowledged to Tarisio.

Please call +44 (0)20 7354 5763 with questions or for official comments.


Press Releases

April 27, 2018

Gautier Capuçon joins Tarisio’s GiveBack auction 

Tarisio, Classeek and Cellist Gautier Capuçon Auction Private Virtual Concert to Benefit Musicians Affected by COVID-19

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October 6, 2014, London

‘BUY NOW’ for Fine Instruments, Live Now

Tarisio launches ‘Buy Now’ instantaneous purchase option for online auctions

Tarisio – the leading fine instrument auction house – is announcing a new Buy Now feature, allowing buyers to purchase select lots instantaneously, at a fixed price, in advance of the bidding process. Having developed this functionality over the summer, Tarisio’s October London auction is the first time it is being used in a sale and the Buy Now option has just been released live.

Buy Now is Tarisio’s latest innovation to its online auction platform. Back in 2013, Tarisio introduced First in, Last out (FILO) allowing the bidder who is both the first and last on a lot, to pay a reduced buyer’s premium. As a result of the introduction of FILO, there has been on average 10.9% of total sale bids received on the first day compared to 0.78% before its introduction.

Buy Now has the same reduced premium as FILO (18% on the first £100,000 and 13% thereafter), and is available for select lots only. Buy Now lots can be purchased until regular bidding opens on Friday 17 October at 11am GMT – or until someone else clicks Buy Now first!

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December 18, 2013, New York

STOLEN ‘EX-KYM’ STRADIVARIUS SOLD FOR $2.27m [£1,385,000]

Stolen and recovered Stradivarius sold at auction by Tarisio for £1.385 million

The world-famous Stradivarius violin that was stolen from London’s Euston Station in 2010 and later recovered has been sold today, 18th December 2013 for £1.385 million including the buyer’s premium.

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November 20, 2013, New York

HOW MANY BITCOINS DOES IT TAKE TO BUY A STRADIVARIUS?

The answer: 1,941 BTC.

As of November 20th, fine-instrument auction house Tarisio will be including peer-to-peer digital currency Bitcoin in their list of reference currencies.

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October 22, 2013, New York

STOLEN ‘EX-KYM’ STRADIVARIUS TO BE SOLD

Stolen and recovered Stradivarius to be sold at auction by Tarisio in December 2013

The world-famous Stradivarius violin that was stolen from London’s Euston Station in 2010 and later recovered, will now be going on sale at auction on 18th December 2013.

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January 14, 2013, New York

TARISIO TO SELL VINTAGE TONEWOODS FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF RENÉ A. MOREL AND REMBERT WURLITZER

In a special auction to be held in March 2013, Tarisio will sell rare and vintage tonewoods from the collections of René A. Morel and Rembert Wurlitzer, Inc.

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September 26, 2012, New York

TARISIO ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF COZIO THE ONLINE ARCHIVE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Tarisio, the leading auction house for fine musical instruments and bows, announced today their acquisition of Cozio, the online archive and database of musical instrument photographs, provenance and price histories.

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April 24, 2012, New York

TARISIO TO AUCTION EARLY GUARNERI ‘DEL GESÙ’ VIOLIN IN JUNE 2012

An important early violin by the celebrated Cremonese maker Giuseppe Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ will be sold at auction by Tarisio on 25 June. Among the most sought after instruments in the world, ‘del Gesù’ violins rarely appear at auction and this example is expected to fetch upwards of £1.5 million.

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April 27, 2012, New York

VIOLIN AUCTION AT TARISIO HAS WORLD RECORDS, RARE STRADIVARIUS VIOLIN

An 18th-Century Italian violin by Antonio Stradivari was auctioned online at tarisio.com for $2,592,000. Tarisio continues to lead the field with strong sales of Stradivari violins.

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April 3, 2012, San Francisco

RARE STRADIVARIUS VIOLIN EXHIBITED IN SAN FRANCISCO

In anticipation of an online auction of fine musical instruments, including a 300 year-old violin by Antonio Stradivari, the New York-based auction house Tarisio will hold a public exhibition at the San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center on April 12 & 13.

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February 15, 2012, New York

GOLDEN PERIOD STRADIVARIUS TO BE AUCTIONED ONLINE BY TARISIO

The ‘Baron von der Leyen’ Stradivarius of c.1705 will be sold at their April 26, 2012 online auction after more than 40 years of use by a professional musician.

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November 17, 2011, New York

RENÉ A. MOREL, FAMED LUTHIER, HAS DIED

René A. Morel, famed luthier, passed away yesterday, November 16, 2011 in the company of his loving family after an ongoing battle with cancer.

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November 11, 2011, New York

LORIN MAAZEL’S GUADAGNINI VIOLIN OF 1783 SOLD BY TARISIO AUCTIONS

Tarisio Auctions, the online auction house for fine instruments, sold Maestro Lorin Maazel’s Guadagnini violin of 1783 at their November 10 auction. A full 100% of proceeds will benefit the Castleton Festival’s endowment for young artists, established by Maestro Maazel and his wife Dietlinde Maazel.

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October 13, 2011, New York

LORIN MAAZEL’S GUADAGNINI VIOLIN OF 1783 TO BE AUCTIONED AT TARISIO

Tarisio announced that they will sell the ʻMaazelʼ Guadagnini violin of 1783 at their November 10, 2011 online auction. The violin has been owned and played by the world-renowned conductor Lorin Maazel for the past 66 years. All proceeds from the sale are to fund an endowment for young artist development at the Castleton Festival, the annual music festival founded by Maestro Maazel and his wife Dietlinde Turban-Maazel.

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June 21, 2011, London

THE ‘LADY BLUNT’ STRADIVARIUS VIOLIN SETS WORLD RECORD PRICE AT TARISIO AUCTION

Tarisio, the online auction house for fine instruments, sold the ‘Lady Blunt’ Stradivarius violin of 1721 for a world-record price of £9,808,000 ($15,894,000) at their June 20 auction, over 4 times the previous auction record for a Stradivari violin. 100% of proceeds from the sale will go to aid Japan through the Nippon Foundation’s Northeastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.

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May 2, 2011, New York

EXCEPTIONALLY RARE STRADIVARIUS VIOLIN TO BE SOLD AT ONLINE AUCTION;
ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT JAPAN

Tarisio announced that they will sell the Lady Blunt Stradivarius violin of 1721 at their June 20, 2011 online auction. The Lady Blunt is one of the two best-preserved Stradivarius violins in existence. It will be sold on behalf of the Nippon Music Foundation of Japan, and all proceeds from the sale will benefit the Nippon Foundation’s Northeastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.

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October 15, 2010, New York

WORLD RECORD AUCTION PRICE FOR STRADIVARIUS VIOLIN AT TARISIO AUCTIONS

A 1697 Stradivarius violin known as ‘The Molitor’ was sold online by Tarisio Auctions for a world-record price of $3,600,000 Thursday to renowned concert violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. The price is the highest on record for any musical instrument sold at auction.

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