"Baron Knoop" Stradivari Violin Sells for a Record-Breaking $23 Million

Created in Stradivari’s "golden age," the instrument is the highest-selling violin of all time

American instrument collector David L. Fulton has announced that he has sold the 1715 "Baron Knoop" Stradivari violin for a world-record price of $23,000,000 to an anonymous buyer. The instrument, made during Stradivari's "gold period" has shattered the previous record set by the 1721 "Lady Blunt" Stradivari violin sold by Tarisio for $15,875,800 in 2011.

Fulton owned "the Knoop" violin for more than 33 years, having bought it in February 1992 for $2.75 million. It was the first Stradivari violin that Fulton bought and helped spark his love for collecting. His journey into the world of fiddles can be found in his book entitled, "The Fulton Collection," which chronologically presents his collection of the world's finest string instruments by the date he acquired them.

"The Baron Knoop is my absolute favorite among the many great violins I’ve owned," Fulton said of the instrument. "It was also the favorite of old Baron Knoop’s himself. It is easy to play and I’ve never heard a better sounding violin. Perhaps some are as good, perhaps some have remarkable personalities, but none is better. The tone of the Knoop has a marvelous golden, ‘sunny’ character; it is a very happy-sounding fiddle."

Named for the instrument collector Baron Johan Knoop (1846–1918), the violin was sold utilizing the services of Peter Biddulph and Lilly Camden as Fulton's agents, and a buyer was ultimately found by Joe Bein.

The Fulton collection included 28 fine violins, cellos, and violas as well as dozens of bows, and most of them have now been sold, with the remainder becoming part of the David and Amy Fulton Foundation. These include Joseph Guadagnini's 1793 "Rolla, Wanamaker collection" viola, a 1898 Voller Brothers copy of the "d'Egville" del Gesu violin, a Francois Tourte violin and bow, a John Dodd viola and bo, and a Victor Fetique viola and bow.

"All that remains is my ‘Little Petrus’, the 1698 Peter of Mantua Guarneri," Fulton told The Violin Channel. "Well, I need some violin to play.  The ‘Little Petrus’ was fine enough to win the 1994 Paganini competition, so I doubt it’ll constrain my future violinistic career.   Also, this creates a pleasing symmetry and arc for the collection saga: it began with my ‘Little Petrus’ and is ending with my ‘Little Petrus’, and there’s been a ton of amazing stuff in between."