UCLA receives Stradivarius, Seraphin violins from Twiford Foundation

UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music violin students will have an expanded collection of rare and extraordinary instruments on which to study, practice and perform thanks to the generous donation of a 12-piece collection of fine bows and violins from the Twiford Foundation. The instruments include 1700s masterpieces such as violins made by Antonio Stradivarius and Sanctus Seraphin, and bows made by Nikolai Kittel and Francois Tourte. The collection as a whole is valued at nearly $3.5 million. The Twiford Foundation also established a fund for the maintenance and repair of the instruments. "Any school in the world would dream of having these instruments in their possession, and we feel very lucky and grateful to be trusted with such an honor," said Movses Pogossian, professor of violin at the school of music. "These treasures of art are also high-precision tools designed for our craft, and they will give our string students the most valuable opportunity to make beautiful music." UCLA already owns one Stradivarius violin — the "Duke of Alcantara," which was made in 1732 — and with the new gift, the campus will be home to two of only 248 known remaining Stradivarius violins in the world. "It is impossible to overstate how much future generations of UCLA musicians will learn from these kinds of experiences," Pogossian said.