A rare and important violin by Carlo Bergonzi recently sold by Bein & Company.
Made at the peak of the Golden Age of Cremona, the 'Brooks, Spector, Reiffenberg' Carlo Bergonzi is one of the top examples by this great maker. Having been owned by the same family for almost seventy years, the violin was entrusted to Bein & Company to find a new caretaker. This violin was played in the world famous Chicago Symphony Orchestra for close to fifty years and at one point was part of the celebrated collection of Richard Bennett which also included Antonio Stradivari's 'Lady Blunt' and Giuseppe Guarneri del gesu's 'Lord Wilton.'
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Half a Century in the Violin Business
I think every child dreams of becoming someone they deeply admire and look up to. My dad was that someone to me. The rare violin shop he built was his castle. A castle with our family name on it. Starting in Cincinatti the early 1970s, and eventually moving to Chicago, the Bein Family has been helping musicians acquire great instruments and bows. For years I watched my father run a highly successful rare string instrument business that I hoped I myself would run one day. Unfortunately, Robert Bein, a true legend in the violin world, passed away well before his time. So I never did get to to run his business. But now to finally follow in his footsteps, I am stepping into that new beginning my father always imagined for me.
I have opened Bein and Co. to carry on my father’s legacy. After nearly two decades of connoisseurship and sales experience at the forefront of the violin market, it’s time. And I want to thank all the incredible artists, clients, teachers, family, and friends who inspired me and encouraged me to walk down this new road. My goal is to not only bring back the expertise, trust and integrity my father instilled in me, but to also do everything I can to help shape the future for classical musicians at every level.
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- Joe Bein
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