24 Violins + 2 Violas + 4 Cellos... 
Your total comes to $50 million. Want Fries with That?
Why did philanthropist Herbert Axelrod give the NJ Symphony a deep discount on his collection of Stradavari, Amati and Guarnari?

Despite the seemingly commercial nature of the NJSO's recent purchase of these 30 instruments, the heart of the deal was quite the opposite - an extraordinarily act of generosity and philanthropic vision by Dr. Axelrod and his wife, Evelyn. Dr. Axelrod had turned down a $55 million offer from the Vienna Philharmonic and delivered these instruments to his home-state symphony for only (!) $18 million in cash and notes.

At a Feb. 19 media conference, the NJSO introduced its newly-acquired "Golden Age Collection" of rare stringed instruments, so called because they were all created in or near Cremona, Italy during the "Golden Age" of violin making (1550-1744).

The collection has been considered one of the world’s most prestigious collections of its type, and the acquisition makes the NJSO the only orchestra in the world to acquire a large performance collection of such noteworthy instruments. Lawrence Tamburri, NJSO President, said "There is no modern-day comparison to our acquisition."

Each one of the instruments comes with a pedigree and a long story of ownership over the centuries. The Guarneri "Goodman," for example, traveled to London, Lisbon, Luanda (Angola) and St. Louis since its creation in 1737. Dr. Zxelrod purchased it in 1997.

Beginning in the 2003-04 season, the NJSO will perform with the instruments at its main home at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (Newark) and in its regular appearances around the state.

Zdenek Macal, NJSO Music Director Emeritus, invites "music lovers around the world... who share our passion for the symphonic repertoire to join us as we begin a new performance era at the NJSO."

Their press release indicates that the complex financing required was made possible through Commerce Bank and The Prudential Foundation, as well as several long-time NJSO institutional and individual supporters, including an extremely generous donation by the Axelrods themselves.

So why the discount? Passion, and dedication. A great music lover and expert, Dr. Axelrod assembled an unparalleled collection of instruments and wanted to hear them, in his home state, alongside fellow Jersey-ites. One speaker at the press conference - "vamping for time," in his own words - compared bringing the collection intact to New Jersey to assembling the great chefs at a great restaurant, and them unleashing them with the greatest ingredients of all time.


Link to the main New Jersey Symphony Orchestra site, which includes an extensive news section with a complete list of the instruments of the Golden Age Collection.

The available webcast of the media announcement (approx. 60 minutes) is extraordinary. In addition to the many opening remarks of gratitude, the piece includes [around the 40-minute mark] a performance of Bach's Double Violin Concerto, marking the first time that these 30 "fiddles" (as Dr. Axelrod himself remarks) were ever played together. Afterward, an emotional Dr. Axelrod describes his feelings after hearing the culmination of a lifetime of collecting, saying "It's an amazing, amazing thing. The only problem I have is how I'm going to feel tomorrow, when I don't have another one of these unattainable goals." He also recounts how his wife gave up a diamond for him to get his first Strad, claiming at the time, "Not a dime more!"