Joachim-Ma Stradivarius Violin
Crafted during Antonio Stradivari's "Golden Period" in 1714, this violin could break the record for the most expensive musical instrument sold at an estimated $12-$18 million. Aside from being crafted at the peak of Stradivari's career, this violin was owned and played by legendary Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, most notably in Johannes Brahms's Violin Concerto in D Major in 1879. Almost 90 years later, the late Chinese-American musician Si-Hon Ma purchased the violin and used it until his passing in 2009, when he bequeathed it to his alma mater, the New England Conservatory. Sotheby's will be auctioning off the violin on behalf of the New England Conservatory under Ma's direction that all proceeds go towards student scholarships.