György Pauk presented his ‘Massart’ Stradivari violin to Júlia Pusker at J & A Beare
The young Hungarian violinist Júlia Pusker has been loaned the 1714 ‘Massart’ Stradivari violin by her teacher, fellow Hungarian György Pauk, who owns the instrument.
Pusker was presented with the violin at J & A Beare in London on 15 October as it is being loaned through the Beare’s International Violin Society.
Pauk, who retired from the concert platform in 2007, said of the 1714 ‘Massart’ Stradivari violin, ‘I have played it practically all my life and I feel that such a great instrument should be heard again, hence I have lent it to one of my best former students.’
Pusker studied at the Liszt Academy in Budapest and later at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Pauk. She was fifth prize-winner at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2019, and was selected for the Rising Stars programme of the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO) for the 2023-24 season.
Pusker commented: ‘There are very few words that describe what I feel when I open my violin case since I received the loan of the “Massart” Stradivari. The connection between artists and their instruments can create such a special bond that even decades do not diminish.
‘There is a strong presence of Mr Pauk’s artistry in this beautiful violin. It is an incredible honour to spend time with the instrument and to be surprised over and over again by its richness and ever-changing sound.
‘It seems the violin has so much to tell that I merely need to be there to catch the story it is conveying. My gratitude goes to Mr Pauk and his wife, Zsuzsi, for trusting me to awaken the “Massart” Stradivari and take it back to the stage, where it belonged for many decades.’
Pauk had a distinguished performing career that included winning first prize at the inaugural ‘Premio Paganini’ competition in Genoa in 1956, and a fruitful chamber music collaboration with cellist Ralph Kirschbaum and pianist Peter Frankl.
Pusker has a busy concert schedule in Europe and will play a solo recital at London’s Wigmore Hall on 2 February.
Read: Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang receives a Golden Period Stradivari violin on long-term loan
Read: From the Archive: Oscar Shumsky on the ‘Pierre Rode’ Stradivarius violin, 1715
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