Professional solo violinists all have their own concept of their own sound, the instrument that expresses their “voice”. Therefore, especially in the era of legendary violinists such as Kreisler, Heifetz, Milstein, Menuhin…, the audience can recognize the sound of the violinist they love. A violin can be very good, very expensive, but it is not necessarily the violin that the artist loves. Below is a special story about the “voice” of the violin.

Dylana Jenson (1961-present) is a renowned violinist. She began playing the violin at the age of two and was considered a violin prodigy. In 1978, at the Tchaikovsky Competition, she caused the audience to applaud for first prize while the other contestants had not yet finished their performance, so much so that the organizers had to turn off the electricity to let the audience leave. She eventually became the first and youngest American woman to receive a silver medal at a Tchaikovsky Competition.

Dylana’s guitar in the 1978 competition

After winning the Tchaikovsky Competition, at the age of 17, Dylana Jenson was given a 1743 Guarneri by a sponsor, and she was delighted to find one that suited her. Not because it was a famous antique, but because it produced her “voice,” the voice she wanted.

However, a few years later, when Dylana Jenson’s career was at its peak, the sponsor asked for the instrument back when she got married (because he thought Dylana was not serious about her musical career). Dylana struggled to find a suitable instrument for herself. This was also the main reason why Dylana disappeared from the big stages, and mainly played on smaller scales. She spent many years in her “golden age” searching for an instrument that produced the sound she really wanted.

This continued for decades until Dylana was introduced to Samuel Zygmuntowicz by Yo Yo Ma (a famous cellist). Zygmuntowicz was a talented luthier, very famous for making and copying Strad and Guarneri instruments. This copying was not only limited to the appearance, but also the sound of the instrument.

However, when Zygmuntowicz completed the first guitar that Dylana ordered, Dylana felt that the sound of the guitar was quite “dark sounding”. She was not completely satisfied with it, and bought another Zygmuntowicz from a friend. She played on this second Zygmuntowicz for several years.

Meanwhile, knowing that Dylana was not satisfied with her first guitar, Zygmuntowicz repeatedly “begged” Dylana to send the guitar back so he could make adjustments. She was finally very satisfied and happy when she received the guitar back from Zygmuntowicz. The guitar had achieved the sound that Dylana wanted – although there was still something missing…

Dylana ordered another guitar from Zygmuntowicz and received it in 2011. However, after receiving the guitar, Dylana did not open the case for several days. She was not sure if she would be completely satisfied this time.

Finally, after much deliberation, when she was alone, Dylana took out the guitar and tried it out. She was completely shocked. She felt truly “free”, free to express the “voice” she wanted.

To this day, Dylana still has the two guitars she ordered from Zygmuntowicz. She occasionally plays the first one so that it “doesn’t feel abandoned.” Both guitars hold great sentimental value to the artist.

Samuel Zygmuntowicz is recognized as a world-class luthier, sought after by violinists for custom violins. His violins can cost $50,000 or more. The Guarneri violins of yesteryear must have been worth millions of dollars.

When you buy a vintage instrument, you’re not just buying the sound, you’re also buying an investment that can pay off big time. Retired musician Aaron Rosand sold his 1741 Guarneri for $10 million. As a young man, he paid everything he had for the instrument because it was the “voice” he wanted. He bought it for $50,000 at the time, and worked hard for 7-8 years to pay it off.

And you, have you ever imagined the sound you want when buying a violin?