Stradivarius Opening Weekend & Symposium

Join the Musical Instrument Museum for the opening of their newest exhibition! A panel of experts and musicians will help celebrate the opening of the new exhibition, Stradivarius: Origins and Legacy of the Greatest Violin Maker with engaging talks on the look, sound, and legacy of these instruments.

Space is limited for all talks; first come, first served.

This program was made possible in part by a grant from Arizona Humanities.

For more information, visit the Museum Instrument Museum website.

Culture Talk: “Antonio Stradivari and the Cremonese Mystique—Fakes, Fraud, and Heists.”

10:00–10:30 a.m. | MIM Music Theater
Join Carla Shapreau for an exploration of how Stradivari instruments have inspired deception in the form of fakes and forgeries and the complicated methods for identifying them.
Shapreau teaches art and cultural property law at the School of Law of the University of California, Berkeley, and is the coauthor of Violin Fraud: Deception, Forgery, and Lawsuits in England and America.

Culture Talk: “Strad 3D: What Are We Missing When We Talk about Strads?”

11:00–11:30 a.m. | MIM Music Theater
The Strad3D research project uses modern imaging techniques to analyze and reveal the hidden inner workings of Stradivari violins. Samuel Zygmuntowicz, creator of the Strad 3D project, will share how technology is expanding the way musicians interact with their instruments.
Zygmuntowicz is a graduate of the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City and instrument maker to Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, and David Finckle.

Culture Talk: “Musical Marriages: The Relationship between String Players and Their Instruments”

Noon–12:30 p.m. | MIM Music Theater
A performer’s relationship with his or her instrument is every bit as intimate as a marriage. Ariane Todes will take a critical look at the connection between musician and instrument, examining both historical evidence and the lives of contemporary musicians.
Todes is the former editor of The Strad magazine and is a freelance music writer, editor, and consultant for international publications, recording companies, and luthiery associations.

Culture Talk: “Into the Musical Woods: An Experience of Media and Mythology”

1:00–1:30 p.m. | MIM Music Theater
Join award-winning multimedia journalist Christopher Livesay as he gives an insider’s perspective on why stories about sixteenth-century violin makers continue to interest the media. He will discuss what makes these topics so compelling and why instrument makers persist in going to the Val di Fiemme region of the Alps for their materials.
Livesay is a regular contributor to NPR, BBC, and VICE News.