A violin crafted by the renowned Antonio Stradivari in 1714 is poised to achieve the title of the most expensive musical instrument ever sold when it is auctioned on Friday at Sotheby’s in New York. This stunning piece, known as the “Joachim-Ma Stradivarius,” has an estimated auction value between $12 million and $18 million. If it sells for the higher end of this estimate, it would surpass the previous record of $15.9 million paid for the “Lady Blunt”, a 1721 Stradivarius that was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most expensive instrument sold at auction.

Mari-Claudia Jimenez, who is Sotheby’s Americas president and head of global business, remarked that the violin was made during Stradivari’s “Golden Period,” a time noted for significant improvements in his craftsmanship. “So this is the peak of his output,” she affirmed, adding, “This is the best violin of this era.”

Sotheby’s has highlighted the remarkable preservation of the violin as well as its extraordinary ownership history. The instrument is named after two illustrious owners: violinists Joseph Joachim of Hungary, who lived between 1831 and 1907, and Si-Hon Ma, born in China in 1926 and who moved to the U.S. in 1948, passing away in 2009. It is believed that the legendary composer Johannes Brahms drew inspiration from the “Joachim-Ma” while composing his “Violin Concerto in D Major,” which Joachim premiered in 1879.

Ma purchased this historical violin in 1969, and upon his death, his estate generously gifted it to the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he had also studied and earned his master's degree in 1950. All proceeds from this auction will be dedicated to student scholarships at the conservatory.

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