January 28, 2014 - 3:38 PM
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee police say they are investigating the theft of an "exceptionally valuable" Stradivarius violin.
The rare violin was on loan to Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Frank Almond. Police said Tuesday that it was stolen during an armed robbery Monday night in a parking lot at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/1dLTjF0 ) the instrument is a so-called Lipinski Stradivarius, crafted in 1715.
In a 2008 newspaper story, Chicago violin dealer Stefan Hersh said the violin's value could be comparable to another Stradivarius that sold for more than $3.5 million in 2006.
The instrument was on indefinite loan to Almond from its anonymous owners. The violin's previous owners include virtuoso Giuseppe Tartini, who was known for his "Devil's Trill" Sonata, and Polish violinist Karol Lipinski.
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Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2014