Violinist's $1.9 Million Stradivarius Stolen
A violin worth nearly $2 million was stolen from a violinist in London. She went into a Pret a Manger store to get something to eat and noticed later that her violin was missing.
Reuters reports that the instrument is worth 1.2 million pounds. That's about $1.9 million, according to Google Finance. Police say the violin was a 1696 Antonio Stradivarius and the bow a Peccatte, itself valued at nearly $100,000. There was a second bow inside the case, reports Reuters.
Various English publications identified the violinist as Min-Jin Kym, a respected Korean-born player who has performed with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
Reuters reports that the violin's insurer is offering a 15,000-pound reward for information leading to the violin's recovery. Police say such a rare instrument would be very difficult to sell because it is distinctive and surely would be identified as stolen.
The case of the stolen Stradivarius recalls cellist Yo-Yo Ma's brush with a lost instrument. In 1999, he left a 1733 Stradivarius cello in the trunk of a New York City taxi. The taxi's driver found the cello after police alerted him to its possible presence in the trunk and it was returned to Ma.