Helen Brunner’s c.1670 violin has been entrusted to the Museo del Violino for over a year, with a reception and performances commemorating the instrument to be held this week
Helen Brunner has entrusted her c.1670 Girolamo Amati II violin to Cremona’s Museo del Violino, where it will be displayed for over a year.
Brunner, who was responsible for introducing the Suzuki Method to the UK in the 1970s, spotted an Amati on a previous cover of The Strad that looked similar to hers. She went to meet the luthier and conservator of that violin, Barbara Meyer, who arranged for pictures and dendrochronology of Brunner’s instrument.
It turned out that Brunner’s violin was much older, rarer and more precious than she had thought. ‘Barbara said “take it to Cremona, they’ll love to see it in the museum.” I did. They did,’ she said, having visited the Museo del Violino in February 2025.
The ‘Brunner’ c.1670 Girolamo Amati II violin will be celebrated on Thursday 23 October at a reception ceremony including speeches and music. On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 October at noon, the violin will be played by Lana Yokoyama in two short solo recitals at the Giovanni Arvedi Auditorium.
‘This is like an Olympic gold medal for my violin. There can be no higher tribute,’ said Brunner.
Girolamo Amati II was the last violin maker of the illustrious Amati family. The son of Nicolò Amati, he continued the family tradition after his father’s death at the age of 87, and paid tribute to his father on his instrument labels: ‘Hieronymus Amatus Cremonen. Nicolai Figlius Fecit…’.
Girolamo never attained the success of his father’s career, however, dying in poverty in 1740, aged 90.
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