Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum
Instruments are a crowning human achievement. For many thousands of years, we’ve engineered ways to create music and have then learned to master the instruments that enable us to do so. The oldest object identified as a musical instrument is a simple flute dating back between 50,000 and 60,000 years. If you’re fascinated by musical instruments, especially as a way to examine traditions and culture, then you’ll want to visit the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, Arizona.
MIM is an institution showcasing instruments on a global scale. Founder Bob Ulrich realized that most musical museums, up until that point, featured primarily Western classical instruments. This inspired him to create a museum that would focus on everyday instruments played by people worldwide. Now, MIM has more than 7,500 instruments in its collection representing more than 200 countries and territories.
The museum has special exhibitions that spotlight extraordinary instruments. Its current exhibition, titled Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars, features over 70 string instruments from European makers of the 16th to the 19th centuries, particularly the great craftsperson Antonio Stradivari. His work, along with others, highlights the exceptional craft that went into making violins, guitars, lutes, and bows. The results are timeless instruments still cherished today.
“The name Stradivarius is synonymous with the pinnacle of violin making,” says Matthew Zeller, MIM’s curator for Europe. “Other European instrument makers achieved similar levels of excellence. This exhibition will introduce guests to these influential makers and reveal many fascinating connections between violin making and guitar making, providing guests with an opportunity to relate centuries-old masterworks to modern instruments in their own lives.”
Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars is now on view at MIM.
The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) has an exhibition celebrating over 70 string instruments from European makers of the 16th to the 19th centuries.
Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum
Titled Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars, the exhibition highlights the exceptional craftsmanship of Antonio Stradivari and other stringed instruments.
Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum
Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum
The results are timeless instruments still cherished today.
Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum
Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum