Leonhard Baumgartner Loaned the 1683 ‘ex Petherick’ Stradivari Violin

The Stretton Society has loaned the instrument to the 17-year-old Austrian violinist

The 1683 ‘ex Petherick’ Stradivari Violin will now be played by rising violinist Leonhard Baumgartner. The loan was made possible by the Stretto Society.

The violin was owned by George Hart and then passed on to Horace Petherick, a writer, illustrator, and violin expert, in 1900. The instrument has not been played for 70 years.

"I am beyond excited to share that this beautiful and very fine Antonio Stradivari violin (1683, “Petherick”) will now be, as I like to call it, my 'new musical home,'" Leo wrote on social media. "I am truly thrilled to bring the voice of this extraordinary instrument to life in upcoming concerts in some of the most beautiful halls. I look forward to exploring its depths and unlocking the full potential of its soul in the years ahead."

Born in 2007 in Vienna, Baumgartner won acclaim through his wins this year at the Eurovision Young Musicians Competition, making his debut with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Eivind Aadland, and at the 2024 Osaka International Music Competition, where he won the First Prize, Grand Prix, and Audience Award.

Since his debut performance with Wiener Symphoniker at the age of 15, he has performed solo with ensembles including the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, Berlin Baroque Soloists, and Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn.

Among his accolades also include first prizes at the Ilona Fehér International Violin Competition, Zhuhai International Mozart Competition, plus the Carl Flesch Prize in Baden-Baden, and the Discovery Award at ICMA International Classical Music Awards.

Recently, he recorded Mozart’s newly rediscovered Ganz Kleine Nachtmusik for Deutsche Grammophon and Stage+ alongside Margarita Pochebut, Svenja Dose, and Oscar Jockel.

Baumgartner’s upcoming projects include appearances with the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Wiener Kammerorchester, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and Zagreb Philharmonic, among others.

Currently, he is studying with Dora Schwarzberg at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Further studies with Ingolf Turban at the University for Music and Theatre Munich, earlier with Regina Brandstaetter at KUG. Leonhard is a scholar of the Music Academy Liechtenstein and performs regularly in concerts with the Liechtenstein Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble Esperanza. His studies are supported by the Nina Gscheider and Florian Schwarz Scholarship from the Stretton Society.