A world-class violinist who was raised Mississauga, Ont. recently travelled to London to perform one last time with a famous violin worth nearly $6-million.
Susanne Hao, a gifted violin star, was loaned the rare nineteenth century violin by the Stradivari Society of Chicago for her promising musical talent.
The nearly 300-year-old instrument was owned by famed Austrian violinist Fritz Kreisler and is said to be worth close to $6-million.
Hao has performed with the rare instrument to audiences around the world and told CTV Toronto that she still feels wary every time she travels with the precious cargo.
“It's scary when I have a moment to think about it or when somebody bumps into me in the Paris metro," she said.
While Hao has managed to keep the prized instrument safe for the past four years, the virtuoso must now give it back.
Her last performance with the violin was with the London Symphony Orchestra, where she performed Beethoven in honour of her father.
"I didn't actually choose it first, it was chosen for me. My father was performing that piece the moment I was born," Hao explained.
Looking back, Hao said that she has shared a special connection with the famous violin.
"There was some reason that this violin came into my hands and found me after 278 years," she said.
“I would say that it’s a part of me. It’s not even a separate entity anymore - it's a part of me, it's my voice.”
With a report from CTV Toronto's Ashley Rowe
