A Stradivarius for the FAI
The Stradivarius violin (FAI ©Foto di Roberto Caccuri – Contrasto)
Master Matteo Fedeli, known to the public as “the man of the Stradivari” for having played 25 of these famous violins, will perform a tour of eight concerts entitled “A Stradivarius for FAI”.

The star of the evening is a completely unique instrument: the Stradivarius violin “Ex Bazzini – De Vito”, built by the famous violin maker of Cremona in 1715—so this year is its 300th anniversary!

The opening concert on September 16th will be in the picturesque setting of Manta (CN) and it will give the public a special opportunity to appreciate first-hand the extraordinary sounds of this amazing violin, characterized by a rich and powerful tone.
 
Italians are very familiar with the mission of the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI). The FAI exists to help protect the unequaled heritage of Italy, a heritage which truly belongs to the entire world, and is lovingly preserved by FAI for the benefit of generations to come.  While many FAI events center around the scenic properties that the organization helps preserve, in this case the aim is to bring visibility to the much-loved tradition of Italian violin makers (liutai) of Cremona.
 
The rarity and unsurpassed quality of these violins is legendary and much-appreciated world-wide.  There have been many amazing stories over the years about these priceless violins. Perhaps one of the most famous stories involved a violinist who left his Stradivarius violin, valued at $4 million, in a taxi cab and had it returned to him by the cab driver!  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/nyregion/07violin.html?_r=0
 
It is wonderful to see the recognition of these beautiful instruments, and to have them highlighted as a result of the concerts this fall.  Here is a link to more information (in Italian): http://www.fondoambiente.it/eventi/Index.aspx?q=uno-stradivari-per-il-fa…
 
Note: this article is based on the author’s English translation of materials provided by the FAI. 

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