The ‘golden period’ violin is currently played by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster Ludvig Gudim
Launched in 1990, the Anders Sveaas Charitable Foundation is one of the principal arts funders in Norway. The Strad Calendar 2027 celebrates its work by showcasing twelve of the finest instruments it loans out to players all over the Nordic region – including eleven by Antonio Stradivari.
1710 Stradivari violin
The foundation’s 1710 Stradivari violin is the only one by the master luthier in the collection that has not yet been given a name. It is now on loan to the 27-year-old Norwegian violinist Ludvig Gudim, who in 2025 was named concertmaster of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, along with Soo-Jin Hong and Christina Åstrand. ‘It’s become my voice, the way I express myself,’ he said of the violin in 2024. ‘The tricky thing is to find that perfect “sweet spot”, where you get the ultimate resonance out of the instrument. It took about six months for me to find it.’
The back is made from one piece of quarter-cut maple with broad figure ascending from left to right. The ribs and head are of similar wood, while the top plate is of two pieces of spruce. The varnish is a beautiful orange–brown over a lighter ground. The back length is 355mm.
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Photos: J&A Beare
Read: Stradivari violin looted in Nazi-era Berlin believed to have been found in Japan
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