Stradivarius 1736 Violin "Muntz"

It was in 2007 that I felt the limit of my own violin and applied to Nippon Music Foundation for a loan of a violin. I can recall as if it were yesterday - auditioning in front of the chairman Maestro Lorin Maazel at the Instrument Loan Committee Meeting in April. It was such an honour to be able to have the loan of the Stradivarius 1736 Violin “Muntz” in November. I had a difficult time at first making friends with the instrument and creating the sound I seeked for. As time went by and the longer we spent together, the “Muntz” taught me the importance of exchanging dialogues with each other. Now, I have become able to create warm, mellow and beautifully bright sounds in both low and high notes. Even today, I am still learning a lot from the “Muntz”. I would like to express my deep gratitudes to the Foundation for giving me the precious opportunity to perform on the “Muntz”.

(Excerpted from NMF Concert program October.13, 2013)