In 1850, the violin was bought by the young Joseph Joachim (1831- 1907), a Hungarian violinist, conductor, and composer, now widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 19th century. Joachim began studying violin when he was five years old and soon relocated to Leipzig to advance his career. There, he became a protégé of Felix Mendelssohn and in the mid 1850s befriended a young German composer, Johannes Brahms. Joachim became a strong influence on Brahms’ compositions by providing criticism, advice, and alterations to his concertos. Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77, was written for Joachim in 1878 and it was probably played for the first time by Joachim with the 1714 Stradivari.
Joachim sold the violin in 1885, and it was owned by several collectors and musicians before being bought in 1967 by the Chinese violinist Si-Hong Ma. Born in the south of China in 1925, Ma learnt to play the violin thanks to his older brother, Sicong, who was also a violinist. Because of the complex Chinese political situation, the younger Ma left the country in 1948 for the United States. He enrolled at the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Richard Burgin, who had been one of Joachim’s last students. Ma was not only a great instrumentalist but also a technical innovator. His creation and subsequent marketing of a new mute—a device to reduce the sound of the violin—allowed him to earn enough money to purchase the 1714 Stradivari. The violin remained in his possession until his death in 2009 and was then gifted to the New England Conservatory by Ma’s estate.
Since its creation three centuries ago, the Joachim-Ma violin has had an incredible journey. It took part in one of the most revolutionary eras in Western music through the hands of Joachim and the mind of Brahms. It then travelled to the United States where a Chinese violinist impressed his style and background on it. Objects, although inanimate, have a way of recording history and celebrating the lives of those who owned them. The Joachim-Ma is an exceptional example, and its legacy will continue to inspire and support musicians from every corner of the world.
*This article originally appeared in Art & Object Magazine's Summer 2025 issue.
