Australian Chamber Orchestra Adds 416-Year-Old Viola Into Its Collection

Stefanie Farrands, the principal violist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, spent five years searching before finally tracking down the instrument she’d been dreaming of – an incredibly rare viola that’s 416 years old.

She recalls immediately bursting into tears when she rested it on her collarbone and felt it resonate.

Farrands had just begun the next chapter of her musical career when she made the discovery in New York.

The instrument is considered one of the best tenor violars still around – and it’s believed to be the only one of its kind left.

It was made in 1610 by Giovanni Paoli Maggini, a famous Italian luthier known for building instruments with outstanding quality.

Farrands has described its tone as “mysterious and dark.”

In the end, the instrument was purchased through the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s special instrument fund.

The fund has been running for about 15 years and focuses on tracking down and investing in rare historical instruments from the “Golden Age”, mostly pieces made between the 1500s and 1700s.

Some of the instruments are owned by the orchestra, while others are generously loaned by philanthropists.

This marks the first time the fund has purchased a viola with a price tag of over $3 million.

The orchestra’s chief financial officer, Fiona McLeod, explained that they actually had to sell another instrument from their collection to make the purchase possible.

After the deal was finalized, the viola went through a thorough due diligence process, including a CT scan, to confirm it was the real thing; only then was it cleared to be played on stage with the orchestra.

McLeod said the musicians do more than just test an instrument’s sound – that they often end up falling in love with it too.

A lot of work also happens behind the scenes to trace the instrument’s past and confirm its authenticity, especially since the viola has changed hands several times over its 400-year lifespan.

This particular viola has a fascinating history; it previously belonged to British violinist and composer Henry Holmers before eventually being passed on to an amateur musician.

It resurfaced in the late 1920s through the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company and eventually found its way into the hands of a collector in the U.S.

McLeod described the viola as a “living work of art” and said it has added a one-of-a-kind sound to the orchestra.

Farrands said getting to play an instrument like this is honestly the biggest privilege of her life.