Mozart’s Violin Comes to Washington

A historic Mozart-linked Stainer violin comes to Washington, performed by Kelly Cho and Joshua Brown under Maestro Julien Benichou.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A historic Jacob Stainer violin linked to Mozart, Wranitzky, Haydn, and Beethoven comes to Washington under Julien Benichou, Artistic Director of the National Chamber Orchestra, with Kelly Cho and Joshua Brown bringing its legacy to life.

In a city where history, diplomacy, and culture converge, a centuries-old violin is preparing to captivate audiences once again.

This September, a remarkable Jacob Stainer violin associated with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and generations of European musical history will be presented to Washington-area audiences through the National Chamber Orchestra, led by Maestro Julien Benichou.

Benichou recently joined Rose Hong and Dr. Samuel Hancock on Global Discover TV to share the extraordinary story of the violin, which traveled with him from Paris to Washington in late August. Joining the conversation was Staff Sgt. Kelly Cho, a violinist with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, who discussed Anton Wranitzky’s place in the musical world connecting Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven.

On the back of the instrument is the name “WRANITZKI,” a visible link to one of its most important historical owners.

“I flew with it from Paris in late August, and I have to say it was quite an emotional moment,” Benichou recalled.

A Masterpiece from Absam

The violin is attributed to Jacob Stainer of Absam, in present-day Austria, one of the most celebrated luthiers of the seventeenth century. Historical documentation dates the instrument to approximately 1670–1675. Stainer’s violins were among the most prestigious instruments of eighteenth-century Europe and were prized by leading musicians of the era.

Dendrochronological examination presented in Cremona in 2014 identified a latest measurable tree ring dating to 1666, consistent with the violin’s seventeenth-century origins.

Its most compelling chapter, however, begins with Prince Lobkowicz, the aristocratic patron whose family became closely connected with the worlds of Mozart and Beethoven. Provenance materials state that a Stainer violin was presented to Mozart in connection with the success of *The Marriage of Figaro* in Prague.

The sources differ on whether the gift dates to 1786 or 1787, but they place the instrument within Mozart’s musical world during one of the most important periods of his career.

On August 24, 1787, Mozart completed his Sonata in A Major for Piano and Violin, K. 526, a work central to the violin’s modern story. Unlike earlier sonatas in which the violin often served an accompanying role, K. 526 creates an increasingly equal dialogue between violin and piano.

That historic connection will come alive again on September 27 in Potomac, Maryland, when violinist Joshua Brown, second-prize laureate of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, is scheduled to perform Mozart’s K. 526 on the historic instrument. Kelly Cho will also play the violin at the concert, following her performance with it during the Global Discover TV interview.

From Mozart to Wranitzky

After Mozart’s death in 1791, the violin’s story becomes intertwined with Anton Wranitzky, a virtuoso violinist, composer and important figure in Vienna’s musical life.

The provenance documentation describes Wranitzky as a friend and pupil of Mozart and a close associate of Beethoven. His brother, Paul Wranitzky, was also a prominent conductor admired by both Haydn and Beethoven.

A particularly striking piece of evidence appears in the registers of the Princes Lobkowicz. A March 6, 1797 transaction refers to the sale of the “Stainer instrument of Mozart.” Wranitzky, who became Kapellmeister to the Lobkowicz princes that year, acquired the violin associated with his teacher and friend.

During the Global Discover TV interview, Cho emphasized Wranitzky’s extraordinary position within this circle.

He was, she explained, “in the middle of this extraordinary musical network from Mozart, Haydn, to Beethoven.”

Cho’s performance on the instrument brought that history vividly into the present.

A Witness to the Age of Beethoven

The violin’s story extends far beyond Mozart.

Its historical documentation associates it with an extraordinary succession of important performances, including Haydn’s *The Creation* and Beethoven’s First, Third, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Symphonies, as well as Beethoven’s Triple Concerto.

The instrument’s later provenance also places it with Joseph Joachim, one of the nineteenth century’s greatest violinists. Joachim became an important champion of Mozart’s violin sonatas, including K. 526, helping bring them back into the European concert repertoire.

In modern times, the violin has continued to attract scholarly and musical attention. It was loaned to the Stiftung Mozarteum in Salzburg in 2014–2015, underwent dendrochronological study, and later returned to performance and recording. Paris-based collector Xavier Guerland became its custodian in 2012 and offered Benichou the opportunity to bring it to the United States on loan.

The intention was not merely to display the violin, but to allow it to be heard again.

Washington Becomes the Next Chapter

The September 27 National Chamber Orchestra event marks a new chapter in the instrument’s remarkable journey.

Brown will perform Mozart’s A Major Sonata, K. 526, while Cho will also perform on the historic Stainer. Benichou plans to feature the violin throughout the National Chamber Orchestra’s season, including Mozart’s "Requiem" and a season finale featuring Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and Seventh Symphony—works whose histories are connected to the instrument in its provenance materials.

For Rose Hong and Dr. Samuel Hancock, hosts of Global Discover TV’s Ambassador’s Showcase, which interviews ambassadors from around the world and explores how culture, music, and the arts connect nations and people across borders, the violin embodies the very spirit of cultural exchange.

Its journey crosses Austria, Prague, Vienna, Paris, Salzburg and now Washington. It connects composers and patrons, musicians and collectors, European heritage and a new American audience.

When the violin resonates through Washington - in the hands of performers including Kelly Cho and Joshua Brown—audiences will encounter more than a historic instrument. They will hear a living thread connecting Mozart, Wranitzky, Haydn, Beethoven and Joachim to a new generation.

Centuries after its creation in the Tyrolean village of Absam, the violin is still doing what it was made to: carrying music forward.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2026 • POTOMAC, MARYLAND
National Chamber Orchestra special event featuring the historic Stainer violin, conducted by Maestro Julien Benichou and featuring violinist Joshua Brown.

Cale Bates
National Chamber Orchestra
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