In Wednesday’s (2/13) Los Angeles Times, Wesley Lowery writes, “Quietly giddy, Sarah Thornblade sat on the couch of a Pasadena home nervously anticipating the encounter. She’d been waiting for this moment for weeks; when it finally came she wasted no time. Thornblade stood, unzipped a soft, green case and extended both hands, carefully lifting her much awaited blind date: an $8-million Stradivarius violin. The connection last week was a test run for a more intimate rendezvous coming Thursday. Thornblade, second violin for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, will play the coveted instrument during the orchestra’s all-Bach Valentine’s Day concert. … Purchased in 2006 by Jerry and Terri Kohl—classical music fans and major donors to the chamber orchestra—the violin was previously owned by virtuoso violinist Nathan Milstein. It is believed to be one of just 40 or 50 surviving instruments created by legendary violin maker Antonio Stradivari during his ‘golden’ period from 1711 to 1719. Jerry Kohl, owner and president of accessories manufacturer Brighton Collectibles, is known for hosting small concerts in his living room, occasions he has allowed musician friends to play the Stradivarius. But, once played daily by Milstein, the violin is now played just a dozen or so times each year.”
Posted February 14, 2013
