The Young Soloists Instrument Foundation, founded by the artistic director of the LGT Young Soloists, Alexander Gilman, makes it its mission to loan outstanding string instruments built by luthiers such as Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù and Giovanni Battista Guadagnini to leading young musicians from around the world.
As a patron of the arts, join the Young Soloists Instrument Foundation and experience how your commitment to art and music can lead to a sustainable and high-yield investment which also opens a brilliant future for young top-level musicians. In doing so, you help prevent unique cultural goods from becoming mere objects of speculation, returning them instead to the purpose they were originally intended for: outstanding music-making.
For centuries, old Italian string instruments have been among the most exclusive and valuable art objects. Even during the luthier Antonio Stradivari’s lifetime in the 17th century, his out- standing instruments were treated and traded as masterworks. They combine artisanal perfection and beauty, compelling elegance and radiant sound. Once commissioned by kings and lords, today these coveted products of ultimate craftsmanship are sought by collectors, investors and patrons of the arts around the world, steadily increasing in value.
During recent decades, top-quality instruments by Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini and comparable luthiers have seen an attractive increase of value ranging from 10 to 13 percent per year. These master instruments, so meaningful for the history of art, represent the tip of the iceberg when it comes to investing in string instruments, as scarce goods for which increasing world- wide demand far outstrips the supply. The market value of violins from Antonio Stradivari’s workshop alone, doubtlessly the pinnacle of violin-making, is currently estimated at 1.5 billion Euros.