SOLD! TO THE MAN IN THE MASK

Kansas City Star, May 29, 2003

By Paul Horsley

The economics of classical music may be in the pits, but auction prices of composers’ manuscripts and rare violins are soaring upward like those of Monets or Van Goghs .. Earlier this month an online sale by Tarisio Auctions of several rare violins became the second-highest-grossing violin auction ever, bringing in $3.3 million. Among those instruments was the “ex-Jan Kubelik” Stradivarius, which at $949,000 became the priciest early-period Strad ever.

Violins belonging to the late Isaac Stern were also sold in the online auction, including a copy by Samuel Zygmuntowicz of the violinist’s prized “Vicompte de Panette” Guarnerius. It drew $130,000, the most ever paid (by almost four times over) for a violin by a living maker.