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South Korean violinist Inmo Yang is set to make his BBC Proms debut on the 1743 ‘Carrodus’ Guarneri del Gesù violin, worth $20 million.
The winner of the 2015 Paganini and 2022 Sibelius competitions will perform Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marie Jacquot, on 28 August at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
The performance also marks the first appearance of the ‘Carrodus’ at the BBC Proms. The violin was purchased by Stretton Society benefactors and has been entrusted to Yang. It was formerly played by Richard Tognetti, the artistic director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
The ‘Carrodus’ is steeped in myth and musical history. It was named after 19th-century English violinist John Tiplady Carrodus, and is considered to be nearly identical to the legendary ‘Il Cannone’, Paganini’s own Guarneri del Gesù from the same year. It is thought that Paganini owned both of these violins, whose backs were carved from the same tree, according to scientific analysis.
Paganini is said to have lost the ‘Carrodus’, one of the finest surviving examples of del Gesù’s late work, in a high-stakes card game.
Yang commented: ’I can’t believe how incredibly fortunate I am to have the opportunity to play the Carrodus. Exploring every detail of this exquisite violin and being mesmerised by its electrifying vibrations is a truly humbling experience — a dream come true for me.
’My first performance with the Carrodus will take place at the Proms, in the Royal Albert Hall, and I look forward to sharing the sound of this extraordinary instrument with audiences in many more venues.
’I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Stretton Society for making it possible for me to perform on this iconic instrument.’
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