We had the good fortune to record the Fanfare – Instrumental Arrangements with the 1728 ‘Thunis’ Stradivarius.

Once the recording concept was set, outreach was made to the Stradivari Society. Stradivarius violins are very rare and in high demand, they have warm, resonant tone, and responsiveness . The Stradivari Society was happy to help connect the recording effort with a Stradivarius depending on it’s availability. As the exact date and time were secured, correspondence was made, and ultimately, the Strad was available. Acknowledgement was such that the Strad would be available the day before the recording session - less than 24 hours. What an adventure! The trip to Chicago was made, and the Strad was welcomed in Oconomowoc at the Lake Country Conservatory by a group of listeners, who heard the instrument from 8 – 11:00 pm. The recording was a 4 hour session on July 27^th, and was graced by the Stradivarius. Our special thanks to Suzanne, Noah and Alec Fushi of Bein & Fushi, Inc. for their assistance in making this possible.

People ask, Roberta, did it really make a difference, could you really tell? Yes, absolutely. What a joy to play! It is a beautiful instrument.

I will say that I was playing with my bow, which is a good bow, yet perhaps not in the same realm as a Stradivarius. Perhaps the tone would have been slightly better with a different bow… having said that, because of the short time frame, only changing the violin so close to the recording time, enabled me to focus and adjust quickly.