Canada Council Acquires 5 Rare Instruments

The Canada Council for the Arts added five instruments to its collection of rare instruments.

The Council spent $1.6 million on the three violins and 2 cellos that will be part of the 2012 Canada Council Musical Instrument Bank (MIB) Competition this fall.

The acquisition of these instruments brings the total value of the 19 instrument (plus one cello bow) collection to over $28 million. The MIB Competition gives classical musicians the chance to win the opportunity to borrow one of the instruments to help enhance their careers.

Three of the five instruments were purchased thanks to a bequest of $1.1 million from the estate of the late Edith Davis Webb.

They are:

- 1730 Newland Joannes Franciscus Celoniatus cello valued at $750,000
- 1871 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin valued at $250,000
- 1900 Stefano Scarampella violin valued at $160,000

The other two instruments are being leant to the Council and are: he 1768 Miller Januarius Gagliano violin valued at $300,000 from Mrs. Miller of Toronto and a 1929 Carlo Giuseppe Oddone cello valued at $200,000 from an anonymous donor.

For more information about the instruments and the competition, visit the Canada Council website HERE