Stradivarius 1708 Violin "Huggins"

Stradivarius 1708 Violin “Huggins”: Interview with Sergey Khachatryan
As part of his winning the 2005 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition, Sergey Khachatryan was awarded a loan of the Stradivari Violin “Huggins” from the Nippon Music Foundation. His first meeting with “Huggins” was at the Queen Elisabeth Competition gala concert, and from that first moment, he could play and adapt to the instrument without any difficulty. “Each instrument has a certain fit; some are compatible, and some are not, but this instrument just has the most wonderful character”, he speaks endearingly. “There is a lot to learn from this instrument as an artist, but since receiving this loan I feel I have also grown as a person” he acclaims, adding “I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to learn through drawing out the sound of such a masterpiece”. The key to drawing out the sound, he says, is to “use your ears”. “Stradivarius has a strong personality and does not like to be controlled by the player. Telling it to make this kind of sound or that just backfires. You have to skillfully bring out the natural voice of the instrument. That is why compatibility between the instrument and player is important. I feel like we are a good fit because the more I play, the more different tones and colours just shine through from the instrument naturally.” (Excerpt from the “Sarasate” String magazine interview in August 2006)