From investor to patron
An instrument in a vault falls silent. One that is played remains what it is — and someone advances because of it.
The instrument on loan
Beethoven had Prince Lichnowsky. Wagner had Ludwig II. Chopin had the Rothschilds. Outstanding musicians have needed patrons in every age — not out of hardship, but because art demands concentration.
Little has changed. An instrument suited to a soloist on the way up regularly costs more than that path has earned so far.
This is where patronage begins. You acquire a master instrument as a tangible asset. You place it on loan. Ownership stays with you; the sound goes on stage.
What a career turns on at this point
Musicians at this level are judged on three things: technique, musicianship and sound. They bring the first two themselves. The third depends on the instrument.
Every instrument placed through VIOLIN ASSETS is currently on loan. None is in a vault.
The musicians pay no fee for the loan. They cover the annual insurance premium and undertake to have the instrument properly maintained. Nothing further is asked of them.
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Use here is not wear
The wood, varnish and glue joints of an instrument that is played are under constant vibration. If that vibration is absent for a long period, the instrument’s voice closes.
An instrument in a vault is therefore not a protected instrument. It is a silent one.
The loan is not a concession you make. It is the form of safekeeping that suits this particular object.
Your commitment, our administration
Patronage should never become administration. We take five tasks off your hands.
- Selection
- Proposals of suitable musicians, an audition, discussion with you. The decision remains yours.
- Loan agreement
- Drafting, term, return, obligations on both sides. The agreement also sets out what applies in the event of damage.
- Insurance
- Coordination of cover for transport, use and safekeeping. You conclude the policy yourself.
- Inspection
- Regular checks on condition, referral to appropriate master workshops, supervision of the work.
- Documentation
- Condition, use, performances and inspections are recorded and presented to you annually.
Where you hear your instrument
Anyone who lends an instrument should also hear it. We invite patrons to concerts at which the musicians they support perform.
Each evening follows a theme: chamber music, in which young talents appear alongside established artists. Presented programmes. Occasionally an evening outside the classical setting.
What happens there appears in no statement. It is the reason people choose this asset class rather than another with comparable figures.
Named or not — the choice is yours
Patronage is not advertising space. If you wish to be named, you are named. If you do not, programmes and documents state only that the instrument comes from a private collection.
No investor appears on this website by name or by face. That is not a side condition. It is part of what we undertake.
A conversation, not a brochure
Whether patronage suits you is not decided by a brochure. It is decided in a conversation about what you wish to achieve — and about how visible you wish to be while doing so.