SFCM Student Takes Stage with Multimillion Dollar Stradivarius Violin
Fiona Cunninghame-Murray will play a 1728 Stradivarius violin when she performs with Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, along with 30 other students Feb. 26 at Davies Symphony Hall.
Fiona Cunninghame-Murray holds a 1728 Stradivarius violin.
When student Fiona Cunninghame-Murray takes her first steps on the Davies Symphony Hall stage on February 26, she’ll do so with a piece of history in her hands.
Using an iconic 1728 Stradivarius violin, Cunninghame-Murray, a violin student of faculty members Chen Zhao and Simon James, will perform with Joshua Bell for a duo performance of Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Chen Zhao, Fiona Cunninghame-Murray, and Simon James.
Thirty SFCM students will also perform with Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in the San Francisco Symphony’s Great Performers Series at Davies Symphony Hall on February 26, 2025 for a performance of Scheherazade by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
Stradivarius instruments are known for their craftsmanship, tonal quality, and lasting legacy, and are considered some of the finest ever made. Stradivari violins in particular are coveted by musicians and collectors: This month, Sotheby’s is auctioning off a Stradivarius made 14 years before the one Cunninghame-Murray will be playing, with an estimated value of $12-18 million.
“The outstanding violin being used by Fiona Cunninghame-Murray is by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona c. 1728 known as the “Caressa, Thunis” and is on loan through the generous efforts of Bein & Fushi, Inc. of Chicago,” the organization said in a statement. The lending of the instrument came through Zhao and SFCM faculty Simon James.
The concert will complete a three-day artistic residency at SFCM for the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, showcasing exceptional next generation musicians alongside Music Director Bell and the acclaimed international ensemble. The Academy of St Martin in the Fields are Opus 3 Artists, part of the growing alliance SFCM shares with Askonas Holt and PENTATONE Records.
“Having the opportunity to play on this 1728 Stradivari has been a dream come true,” said Cunningham-Murray. “I would like to thank Bein & Fushi and the Strad Society for their generous support and mentorship. This opportunity would not have been possible without the guidance of my teachers, Chen Zhao and Simon James, who have gone above and beyond for me.”
Learn more about studying violin at SFCM.