violin

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Woman Plays Violin During Her Brain Surgery
 Woman Plays 
 Violin During Her 
 Brain Surgery 
in case you missed it
Sep 14, 2014 10:45 AM CDT

Woman Plays Violin During Her Brain Surgery

Naomi Elishuv serenaded doctors with Mozart as they resolved tremor problem

(Newser) - Naomi Elishuv used to be a world-class violinist who played with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, but uncontrollable shaking caused by a neurological disorder called essential tremor forced her to stop playing 20 years ago, the Telegraph reports. She only recently learned of deep brain stimulation, the surgery that could...

One of World's Priciest Violins Was Hidden in Heiress's Closet

Bidding has begun for Stradivarius owned by Huguette Clark

(Newser) - Funny what turns up in the closet of reclusive, deceased heiress: In this case, one of the world's most expensive musical instruments. Christie's has begun accepting sealed bids for a 1731 Stradivarius violin that had been in a closet of Huguette Clark for about 25 years, reports NBC...

Barred From Plane, Violinist Plays Bach on Tarmac

Zach De Pue gets revenge in perfect fashion

(Newser) - When US Airways wouldn't let a classically trained violinist bring his violin aboard a plane, he responded in appropriate fashion: He played Bach on the tarmac in protest. More precisely, Zach de Pue of the trio Times for Three played Bach's Prelude from the Sonata in E Major...

Stradivarius No Match for New Violins, Test Finds

Soloists assess renowned instruments with surprising results

(Newser) - Musicians have long been captivated by the instruments of the Stradivari family; centuries after they were built, they've become the stuff of legend. Yet new blind tests seem to shatter the notion that a Stradivarius is actually superior to today's violins. In fact, the tests found expert violinists...

Armed Robber Snatches 300-Year-Old Stradivarius

Stun gun was used on Milwaukee concertmaster

(Newser) - One of the most valuable instruments in the world was stolen Monday by a robber who used a stun gun on the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's concertmaster in a parking lot before making off his with his priceless Stradivarius violin. "The artistic heritage of Milwaukee was assaulted and robbed...

Titanic Violin Fetches 3 Times More Than Expected

Goes for nearly $1.5M at auction

(Newser) - A violin believed to have belonged to the bandleader on the Titanic, who famously went down with the ship, was already expected to fetch a record price at auction: almost $500,000 , which would have made it the most expensive piece of Titanic memorabilia ever sold. Well, it hit that...

For Sale: Bandleader's Violin ... That Went Down With Titanic

Expected to fetch almost half a million

(Newser) - If you have a good chunk of change to spare, you may be able to snatch up a piece of Titanic history tomorrow—perhaps even play a tune on it. A water-damaged violin believed to have belonged to the historic ship's bandleader will hit the auction block, and it...

Bolshoi Violinist Dies After Fall Into Orchestra Pit

More rough news for Russia's renowned theater

(Newser) - More bad news for the scandal-tinged Bolshoi Theater : A violinist who had been a part of its orchestra for four decades died yesterday after tumbling into the orchestra pit the previous day. The circumstances behind Viktor Sedov's fall have not been revealed, reports the BBC , which adds that a...

Experts Confirm Violin Played on Deck of Titanic

Bandmaster was performing 'Nearer, My God, to Thee'

(Newser) - A salt-stained violin that sank with the Titanic a century ago may soon come up for auction, the New York Post reports. Experts have authenticated the instrument, and say that bandmaster Wallace Hartley played it in the ship's final moments as he led his eight-member group in performing "...

Spider Silk Spun Into Violin Strings

Up to 5,000 silk threads needed for each string

(Newser) - A Japanese researcher who specializes in spider silk has used 300 plucky golden orb web spiders to weave silk threads he could turn into violin strings, reports the BBC . Shigeyoshi Osaki used up to 5,000 silk threads to produce each string, twisting them together tightly in a "unique...

Stradivarius Violin's Powers Just a Musical Myth
Stradivarius' Powers
Just a Musical Myth
Study says
Jan 3, 2012 12:10 PM CST

Stradivarius' Powers Just a Musical Myth

Researchers show that even pro musicians can't tell the difference

(Newser) - They’re famed far and wide as the finest violins on the planet (one recently sold for $16 million) , but do Stradivarius violins actually sound better? A study suggests they don’t, NPR reports. Researchers assembled a group of six violins—two Stradivariuses, a Guarneri, and three modern violins—and...

World's Most Expensive Instrument on Sale for $18M

It's a 269-year-old Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Jesu violin

(Newser) - The most expensive musical instrument in the world is for sale in Chicago. No it's not a Strad, but rather a 269-year-old Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Jesu violin. Among the oldest extant musical instruments, the violin awaits the collector who has a spare $18 million lying around. The asking price is...

$1.9M Stradivarius Stolen at Sandwich Shop

Two pricey bows were also in the case

(Newser) - A quick pit stop at a London sandwich shop turned into disaster for a musician when her $1.9 million antique Stradivarius violin was stolen last Monday, Reuters reports. Also in her case were two rare and expensive bows valued at $98,000 and $8,000, respectively. The 314-year-old violin...

Shoulder Lost to Cancer Doesn't Stop Violinist

Teen cancer survivor Joe Ginem plays on after reconstructive surgery

(Newser) - For one Florida teenager, playing the violin was everything—until a rare bone cancer ravaged his arm to the point where Joe Ginem couldn’t lift a pencil. After undergoing chemo, his shoulder needed to be reconstructed, and the surgeon told him he could do so in a way that...

GPS Rescues $600K Violin Left in NYC Cab

Technology 'cut the driver out of the picture,' says taxi boss

(Newser) - GPS technology reunited a violinist with the $600,000 instrument he left in a New York cab yesterday, the Times reports. After Korean musician Hanh-Bin left a vehicle without his 18th-century instrument, the Taxi and Limousine Commission was able to find it in less than an hour, using the cab’...

'Beckham of Classical Music' Is Hit on Charts, With Ladies

David Garrett loves Metallica, sets world records

(Newser) - He covers Michael Jackson songs, and considers Mozart and Metallica equally influential—David Garrett is not your average classically trained violinist, but perhaps that’s why his self-titled debut has sat atop the classical crossover charts for three weeks. The German-born 28-year-old—who modeled on the side during his time...

Yo-Yo Ma 'Finger-Synched' Inauguration Gig

Performers decided to play along to tape in 'wicked cold'

(Newser) - The somber classical sounds that filled the Washington Mall ahead of Barack Obama's swearing-in came from a tape, reports the New York Times. When Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and the rest of the quartet realized that the freezing weather and strong winds would likely wreak havoc with their instruments they...

The Secret of the Strad's Superiority

Scientist find mellow tone is in the wood

(Newser) - Stradivarius violins—300 years old and valued at least $3 million each—are universally recognized as producing the richest sounds. Now, the Daily Telegraph reports, scientists believe they know why. X-rays of several old and new instruments show the wood used by 17th-century violin makers has a more uniform density...

Violinist to Serenade Taxi Driver
Violinist to Serenade
Taxi Driver
May 6, 2008 11:13 AM CDT

Violinist to Serenade Taxi Driver

Concert at Newark airport for cabbie who returned $4M Strad

(Newser) - When violin virtuoso Philippe Quint left a 1723 Antonio Stradivari “Ex-Kiesewetter” in a New Jersey taxi two weeks ago, he was distraught: The $4 million instrument was not only irreplaceable, it was on loan. But the cab driver returned the violin next morning, and today, in gratitude, the Grammy-nominated...

Stradivarius Market Hits High Note
Stradivarius Market Hits
High Note
Jan 6, 2008 2:10 PM CST

Stradivarius Market Hits High Note

Rush for 300-year-old violins sparks intrigue, drives price to millions

(Newser) - The price of violins by 18th century Italian master Antonio Stradivari has shot through the roof in recent decades, with the instruments now worth 500 times their weight in gold, reports Der Spiegel. Three powerful dealers control a shadowy worldwide market rife with intrigue where frenzied collectors seek out the...

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