Kang has received the 1702 ‘Thunis’ Stradivari violin, thanks to Kia Motors, via J & A Beare
Violinist and soloist Clara-Jumi Kang has been granted the long-term use of the 1702 ‘Thunis’ Stradivari violin. The Golden Period instrument was loaned to Clara in 2023 by Kia Motors, for whom she now acts as a Global Ambassador, and facilitated by J & A Beare.
Kang had been searching for a new instrument for a long period, when she first met the ’Thunis’ violin on a visit to J&A Beare’s in 2022, where she quickly fell in love with the sound of the 1702 instrument.
The instrument’s long history includes time spent in the hands of Jeanette Ysaÿe, widow of the famed violinist and composer, Eugene Ysaÿe.
’Words alone cannot express my gratitude for the generosity, support and care I experience with J & A Beare,’ said Kang. ’When I was in need of a violin, they instantly helped me out and through them, I have found my 1702 Strad.’
’It was a joy to assist Clara in finding her perfect violin,’ said Steven Smith, J & A Beare’s managing director. ’A great musician needs a great instrument, and the connection she found with the 1702 ’Thunis’ here at Beare’s is a match made in heaven. It’s wonderful to see that through the patronage of Kia Motors she has now secured this violin for her future use.
Kang’s musical journey started at an early age when she was accepted into the Mannheim Musikhochschule as its youngest ever student at just four years old. She made her debut with the Hamburg Symphony just a year later and was a cover star of German culture magazine Die Zeit aged six. She received a full scholarship to attend Juilliard at the age of seven, where she studied with Dorothy DeLay.
She has won first prize at the Indianapolis, Seoul and Sendai International Music Competitions. Upcoming performances for Kang this month include solo appearances with the Hamburg Symphoniker and Ilan Volkov, and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra with Jaap van Zweden.
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