What is a Stradivarius?

Antonio Stradivari (c.1644–1737) made violins, violas, cellos, guitars and harps in the northern Italian city of Cremona. He is thought to have made around 1,100 instruments, of which about 650 survive. His instruments are prized for their craftsmanship and sound and are played by many leading soloists. In 2011, the 'Lady Blunt' violin of 1721 sold for about $15.9 million, a record auction price at the time, with proceeds going to Japan's tsunami relief. However, blind tests published in 2012 and 2014 found that many expert players could not reliably tell Stradivari violins from top modern ones.