Post by Gillian Rose K.

St. André’s magnificent townhome, 48-50 West 69th Street, played host to Florian Leonhard Fine Violins Ltd for three days, with magnificent instruments from Guarneri Del Gesù, Guadagnini, Forster and more on-site for musicians and donors to experience. Some of the world’s best musicians including Frank Huang, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, filled the soaring double-height living space with music. It was a pleasure to work with my dear friend Sumina Lydia Studer to bring this collaboration to life — a celebration of art, beauty and craftsmanship in music and real estate alike. Side note - I can’t say I’ve ever held an instrument worth as much as the Del Gesù pictured here! Aside from the inevitable nerves of touching something so precious, I was in awe of the fact that an instrument hundreds of years old could produce sound that no modern violin can perfectly replicate.