The Lipinski Stradivarius is a violin constructed in 1715 by the famous luthier Stradivari. It is one of only 700 Stradivarius violins, violas, cellos or guitars that are known to exist in the world today. Because it was constructed during Stradivari's "golden period" (between 1700 to 1720) it is one of the most valuable instruments on the world. Unfortunately, it has been missing since 1962.

It is unknown who the first owner of the Lipinski Strad was, but one of the first was the Italian violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini.

Tartini composed his famous 'Devil's Sonata' after experiencing a dream in which he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for supernatural talent.

Tartini gave it to his pupil, Signor Salvini, in 1818. After hearing the Polish violinist Karol Lipinski perform, Salvini asked to see his violin which he then smashed to pieces. Salvini handed the shocked Lipinsky the Stradivarius that he had received from his teacher, Tartini. Lipinsky then became the new owner. This violin that Salvini gave him would become known as the Lipinsky Strad.

Chronology of the violin’s owners

• Giuseppe Tartini
• Salvini (in Milan)
• Karol Lipinski
• Richard Weichold, instrument dealer (in Dresden, 1861)
• Prof. Engelbert Röntgen (in Leipzig)
• Unknown
• Hill & Sons, instrument dealers (in London, 1899)
• Unknown amateur musician (in Holland)
• Hill & Sons, instrument dealers (in London)
• Unknown
• Hamma, instrument dealers (in Germany)
• Unknown
• Wurlitzer - New York (1922)
• Unknown
• Roger Chittolini
• Dr. José Martínez Cañas (in Havana, 1941)
• Ángel Reyes (in Havana)
• Wurlitzer, instrument dealers (in New York, 1960)
• Unknown
• The violin has been missing since its last sale in 1962.

Note: Joseph Joachim, Liivak, Malonzenoff and Persinger are also known to have owned the instrument.

See also:

• Stradivarius (included a list of Stradivari’s instruments)

Sources

• Faber, Toby. Stradivarius: Five Violins, One Cello and a Genius (Macmillan)
• Doring, Ernest N. How Many Strads? Our Heritage from the Master, Enlarged and expanded edition by Robert Bein & Geoffrey Fushi (Bein & Fushi, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1999)