Tickets Now Available for An Evening with Rachel Barton Pine, Antonio Stradivari and Jacob Stainer

Internationally acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton Pine will bring centuries of history to life in an unforgettable concert on Wednesday, December 3 at Aalfs Auditorium in Vermillion, South Dakota. Tickets are available at NMMusd.org/events.

The concert will feature the National Music Museum’s 1668 Jacob Stainer and 1693 ‘Harrison’ Stradivari violins—last played publicly decades ago.  

A Historic Musical Experience

During a recent visit to the NMM, Pine was captivated by the museum’s 1668 Jacob Stainer violin, a masterwork preserved in near-original condition. Considered the greatest violin maker of the 17th century outside Italy, Stainer’s instruments were prized for their sweet, silvery tone. Johann Sebastian Bach himself owned a Stainer, making Pine’s performance of Bach’s music on this instrument historically authentic. The Stainer has not been heard publicly since it arrived at the NMM in 1989.

The concert will also showcase the NMM’s celebrated 1693 ‘Harrison’ Stradivari violin, one of only a handful of Strads to retain its original neck. Described as “the greatest concert violin built before 1700,” the Harrison represents Stradivari’s pioneering “long pattern” design. This violin has not been played publicly since Eugene Fodor’s recital in 2002 and will be returned to permanent exhibit following this recital.

In contrast, audiences will also hear the debut of the 2025 Harrison Strad 2.0—a meticulous replica created by the Oberlin School of Violin Making (Ohio) and the Chicago School of Violin Making (Illinois). Crafted over two years to match the Harrison’s dimensions, varnish, and wear patterns, this replica will be heard publicly for the very first time. The recital gives audiences the rare chance to compare the sound of an original Stradivari violin with its modern re-creation.

Funding for the 1668 Jacob Stainer (NMM 04548) was provided by the NMM Board of Trustees, 1989, in memory of Arne B. and Jeanne F. Larson. The 1693 ‘Harrison’ Stradivari violin (NMM03598) was acquired through the Rawlins Fund, 1985. Purchase funds for the Strad 'Harrison' 2.0 violin (NMM 15929) were a gift of 1st Financial Bank USA and Ken Cancelosi, in memory of Robert Cancelosi, 2025.

About the Performer

Praised by The New York Times as “striking and charismatic” and by The Washington Post for her “power and confidence,” Rachel Barton Pine is one of the most celebrated violinists of her generation. She has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and Vienna Symphony, among many others, under the direction of leading conductors including Daniel Barenboim, Marin Alsop, and Zubin Mehta.

Pine’s 2024–25 season highlights include premieres of new violin concertos, international tours, and performances of the great masterworks by Brahms and Sibelius. She performs on the 1742 “ex-Bazzini, ex-Soldat” Guarnerius “del Gesù,” on lifetime loan from an anonymous patron.

Pine is visiting the University of South Dakota for a one-week residency with the USD Department of Music. She will also be performing with the USD Symphony Orchestra on Friday, December 5.

For more information, visit www.NMMusd.org.
 
Photo caption:
Internationally acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton Pine will perform on two of the National Music Museum’s treasured historic violins on Wednesday, December 3. Photo credit: Lisa-Marie Mazzucco.