An instrument that makes 100 million sounds.

 We used to prefer 'new'. The same is true of most instruments. However, only string instruments are exceptions. Old instruments made by Italian craftsmen in the 17th and 18th centuries enjoy the best value today. It is common to say that it evolves for the next 400 years and then degenerates for the next 400 years. The ransom of these luxury instruments ranges from 1 billion won to up to 16 billion won. Attention is naturally focused on the existence of those who are expensive enough to wonder if they have sprayed diamond powder, not gold powder. Recently, a large number of "precious bodies" worth billions of won have appeared on Korean soil. This is why old instruments have become one of the main topics in the Korean classical world this spring. 

On the 21st of last month, the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation provided three luxury instruments free of charge to three promising new violinists. After two fierce auditions, the recipient was selected. The old instruments that appeared at the ceremony were Guadani Cremona (1794), Guadani Parma (1763), and Dominicus Montanyana (1740). Guadani is from Italy, the home of string instruments manufacturing, and is considered the most precious instrument along with Stradivari and Guarneri. Lorenzo Guadini, who first produced Guadini instruments in the early 18th century, was a disciple of Antonio Stradivari, who is considered to have presented the standard type of violin. Guadani Cremona, which drew attention as it was used by violinist Lim Ji-young, who won the Queen Elizabeth Competition last year, one of the world's top three competitions, will be used by Lee Soo-bin (15), a former member of Kumho Youngjae, over the next three years. Guadani, which was produced in 1794, is now known to be worth 1 billion won. Lim Ji-young will use the 1708 Stradivarius "Huggins" for the next five years due to her injury to the competition. 

These top-notch string instruments, which are traded at astronomical amounts such as Stradivarius, Guerneri, and Guadani, are treated in the form of being purchased by foundations sponsored by companies or specific organizations and leased to high-quality performers rather than general instruments. If the masterpiece player does not continue to play, it needs to be rented continuously to fade. In Korea, the Kumho Cultural Foundation has eight violins and one cello, including Guadani, the Samsung Cultural Foundation has two violins, two cello and one double base, including Guarneri del Jesu and Stradivarius. Guarneri del Jesu is one of the most valuable instruments among Guarneri's instruments, a stringed instrument production family active in the Italian Cremona region in the 17th and 18th centuries, and only 120 units exist in the world, and originally used by star violinist Clara Jumi Kang is currently used by Steven Kim. The Jumi River uses Stradivarius owned by the Samsung Foundation. 

Stradivarius is an instrument name produced by the Italian Stradivari family over the 16th and 18th centuries, and currently has 540 violins, 12 violas, and 50 cello. Unlike Guarnery, which has a masculine and dramatic sound, Stradivarius has a soft and extremely delicate sound. Violinist Jeong Kyung-hwa commented, "No matter how sad Stradivari is, if he is a noble who cannot show tears because he is too noble, Guarnery is like an honest and humble farmer who can sit on the ground and wail when he wants to cry." 

On the 27th, a string quartet consisting of only Stradivarius will perform in Korea at the Seoul Arts Center, drawing keen attention from fans. It is a "Stradivari Quartet" made up of Stradivarius owned by the Swiss Hybrid Tinger Foundation. The organization, formed in 2007 by musicians based in Zurich, Switzerland, is a talented band that stands out in the Lucerne Festival and Wigmore Hall in London. The value of the four instruments held by these performers totaled 13 million euros (about 17.7 billion won). Aurea, a 1715 violin produced in the golden age of Stradivari and called Golden Violin, King George, a 1710 violin, Gibson, and Bonami Dobre-Suji, a 1734 cello produced by Ninety Stradivari, will be on stage.

Pianist Huh Seung-yeon will play Schumann's piano quintet with them, along with Mozart String Quartet No. 2 of Stradivari Quartet and Adagio for Barber's string.

So, what is the most expensive string instrument in the world now? The main character is Stradivarius. In 1721, the Stradivarius Lady Blunt won the world's best ransom, recording as much as $15.9 million (about 18 billion won) at a Tarzio auction designed to help damage the Japanese tsunami in 2011. At the 2014 Sotheby's auction, Stradivarius "McDonald" Viola, which had the lowest bid price of about $45 million (about 51.5 billion won), was expected to break the record, but the 2011 record is expected to remain for some time as no one responded to the bid.