Sergej Krylov loaned 1710 ‘Camposelice’ Stradivari violin

Read more news stories here

Violinist Sergej Krylov has received the ‘Camposelice’ violin, made in 1710 by Antonio Stradivari on a one-year loan.

The violin is named after the Duke of Camposelice of France, an amateur violinist and collector who purchased the instrument in 1884 from another amateur player via Gand et Bernardel of Paris. W. E. Hill & Sons acquired the instrument in the UK in 1889 and sold it to the founder of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Mrs J.L. Gardner.

The instrument remained in the US for part of the 20th century before being displayed at the 1937 Cremona Exhibition of Instruments. Other players of the instrument include Czech violinist Váša Příhoda and Bernard Goldblatt. The instrument was in the hands of a Belgian amateur player for over 30 years until 2004. Most recently, in 2022, it was loaned for a three-year term to violinist María Dueñas.

The back of the ‘Camposelice’ is of two pieces of handsomely flamed maple, with similar wood used for the ribs. The scroll is has a more regular flame. The spruce top is of narrow grain at the centre, opening out at the flanks. The varnish is of a red–orange colour.

‘The “Camposelice” is nothing short of extraordinary, one of the finest Strads I have ever had the privilege to play,’ Krylov told The Strad. ‘Its sound is breathtaking, rich, resonant and full of harmonics, with a warmth and depth that seem almost human.

‘Playing it feels like a dialogue with the soul, creating an immediate and profound connection with anyone listening. I am deeply grateful to the Nippon Music Foundation for entrusting me with the “Camposelice”. Experiencing this instrument is a once-in-a-lifetime privilege, and I hope through my performances to convey both its incomparable beauty and its extraordinary historical significance.’