In November, MCO concertmaster Matthew Truscott was officially presented a violin built by Antonio Stradivarius – the finest violin maker of all time – at Berlin’s Kogge & Gateau violin restorers. The violin is on loan to the MCO thanks to the MCO Foundation, and passes through the hands of MCO concertmasters. Matthew Truscott, concertmaster since February 2015, will now lead the MCO with this extraordinary instrument.
“Stradivarius is a legendary maker, and even the name has a sort of mythic potency,” says Matthew Truscott. “As a violinist these instruments embody the sort of quality, refinement, power and finesse to which one constantly aspires as a player; to live with one is to be inspired and challenged daily by its magnificence. The violin, which is made available to the MCO, is an extraordinarily beautiful instrument: bold, rich and elegant and with wondrous tonal qualities, almost another species of instrument. It is a rare privilege to be able to play and live with such an instrument, to learn how to interact with it and to be surprised again and again by new aspects of its quality and character.”
MCO Foundation board member Carsten Markfort explains the story behind the loan: “As we were discussing how we could help the orchestra after the MCO Foundation was established in 2008, the talk turned to the concertmaster’s violin. An exceptional instrument, when it takes the lead, can bring the entire orchestra to a whole new level. Around this time, I became aware of such a violin, one that was just waiting for a new musician to honour the treasured memory of its former owner. It has to be played regularly so that it keeps its tone, he always said.
The current owners have taken this proclamation to heart, and thus it came to pass that I could offer them our wonderful MCO as a new home for the violin. Since 2011, the MCO Foundation is happy and proud to be able to present the MCO with an original Stradivarius. Built in 1723, the instrument was made during the master’s golden period. We offer our heartfelt thanks to the owners of this valuable instrument, who have agreed to loan the violin to the MCO Foundation and the MCO.”
The MCO Foundation was founded in 2008 to support the Mahler Chamber Orchestra’s musicians, musical projects and diverse educational initiatives. Its mission is to bring the orchestra’s unique vision of classical music to the world.
The Foundation houses the MCO’s Friend, Explorer and Patron Circles and is infused by the generous donations of supporters across the globe. If you would like to join or make a donation, please click here. 
Photo Credits:
Geoffroy Schied (Matthew Truscott)
Atelier Kogge & Gateau (Stradivarius)
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