(C) Daily Montanan This story was originally published by Daily Montanan and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Violin virtuoso plays Billings, bringing an instrument with a mysterious past – Daily Montanan [1] ['Darrell Ehrlick', 'More From Author', '- October'] Date: 2022-10-08 Violinist Kim Chee-Yun’s favorite part of her violin is the deep, dark rich tones that she said sound nearly identical to that of a cello, if you close your eyes. But the sound isn’t the only thing about her violin that has a deep and possibly dark past. Throughout almost her entire career, Chee-Yun has played a violin made by Francesco Ruggieri in 1669. She purchased the instrument when she was 21 with the help of a no-interest loan from a patron. It took 12 years to pay it off, but she counts herself lucky to own her own violin. Though it was very clearly a Ruggieri, Chee-Yun said the violin came with very little in the way of authentication of ownership and hadn’t been played by anyone in many, many years. It was in nearly perfect condition. Montanans will get a chance to hear the violin played by Chee-Yun next week as she performs with the Billings Symphony. A mystery solved? In 2013, she came to discover why her violin may have had a 200-year gap in its history. After a concert in Eilat, Israel, Chee-Yun was taking questions from the audience and one man asked, “Tell me about your violin?” Later, the man shared that his father was a violin collector who “often wondered about your violin.” The father believed it was buried with its owner in Scandinavia. The idea is not beyond the realm of possibility, as it was fashionable in that day to be buried with your most prized possessions. “I’m so glad it’s in good hands now,” the man said to Chee-Yun. “Please take good care of it.” Chee-Yun’s violin has its own following and has been featured in the Washington Post and in a short documentary. Regardless of its intriguing history, Chee-Yun loves it for its sound. “Every time I play my instrument, I am so grateful and so amazed by the sound,” Chee-Yun said. Chee-Yun will be featured on Oct. 15 with the symphony as it presents “Fire and Ice.” Chee-Yun will be performing Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. “It’s passionate, powerful, and compelling, and it demands a lot from a violinist as well as the orchestra,” Chee-Yun said. “I love it. It’s one of those pieces that people relate to and can connect with.” The orchestra will also perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, described as an “indulgent, lush and expansive Romantic work.” Chee-Yun is Korean-born and plays in her home country several times a year. This concert is part of the Billings Symphony’s Classic Series, featuring seven performances at Alberta Bair Theater and also includes a performance at Faith Chapel of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic “South Pacific.” For tickets and more information, visit www.billingssymphony.org or call (406) 252-3610. [END] --- [1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2022/10/08/violin-virtuoso-plays-billings-bringing-an-instrument-with-a-mysterious-past/ Published and (C) by Daily Montanan Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/montanan/