The Tom Taylor Stradivarius is an antique

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

made by renowned luthier

Antonio Stradivari Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, '' Stradivarius'', as well as the collo ...

in Cremona, Italy, circa 1732. Its namesake is British art critic

Tom Taylor Tom Taylor (19 October 1817 – 12 July 1880) was an English dramatist, critic, biographer, public servant, and editor of ''Punch'' magazine. Taylor had a brief academic career, holding the professorship of English literature and language a ...

. Taylor was married to its onetime owner, violinist and composer Laura Wilson Taylor née Barker (1819–1905), who had been presented with the instrument by

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Thomas Perronet Thompson Thomas Perronet Thompson (1783–1869) was a British Parliamentarian, a governor of Sierra Leone and a radical reformer. He became prominent in 1830s and 1840s as a leading activist in the Anti-Corn Law League. He specialized in the grass-root ...

during her youth. It is best known for its use in the recording and appearance in the Canadian film ''

The Red Violin ''The Red Violin'' (french: Le Violon Rouge) is a 1998 drama film directed by François Girard and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Carlo Cecchi and Sylvia Chang. It spans four centuries and five countries as it tells the story of a mysterious red-co ...

'' (though the film actually tells the tale of the "Red Mendelssohn"

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th centuries. They are c ...

, which has been owned by American violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn since 1990). The Tom Taylor was played by

Joshua Bell Joshua David Bell (born December 9, 1967) is an American violinist and conductor. He plays the Gibson Stradivarius. Early life and education Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, to Shirley Bell, a therapist, and Alan P. Bell, a psychologi ...

, who later sold it for $2 million to pay for his current instrument: the

Gibson Stradivarius The ''Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius'' of 1713 is an antique violin made by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. The ''Gibson'', while owned by Bronisław Huberman, was stolen twice. The first time it was returned shortly afterward. The second theft, ...

. The current owner is unknown, and possibly is Mark Steinberg of the

Brentano String Quartet The Brentano Quartet is an American string quartet. History Founded in 1992 at the Juilliard School, the quartet's founding members were violinists Mark Steinberg and Serena Canin, violist Misha Amory, and cellist Michael Kannen. At the suggesti ...

, either loaned by Yale Collection of Musical Instruments of the

Yale School of Music The Yale School of Music (often abbreviated to YSM) is one of the 12 professional schools at Yale University. It offers three graduate degrees: Master of Music (MM), Master of Musical Arts (MMA), and Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), as well as a join ...

(Connecticut), or by Mannes School of Music (New York), where he teaches. The Tom Taylor was previously owned by Patricia Travers (from 1938 to 1954, which was sold to a benefactor who loaned it to California State University, Northridge).

References

1732 works Stradivari violins Stradivari instruments {{violin-stub