The Musical Instrument Museum Phoenix AZ
The Musical Instrument Museum, located at 4725 East Mayo Blvd. in Phoenix opened on April 24th of 2010, and is the largest musical instrument museum in the world of its kind. There are a few other instrument museums, but they mainly focus on Western instruments. The most notable one is the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, Belgium. The University of South Dakota houses the National Music Museum; Carlsbad, Calif., has the Museum of Making Music that focuses on the music industry; and the EMP Museum in Seattle is geared toward pop culture.
The Musical Instrument Museum (M.I.M.) was founded by Robert J. Ulrich, former CEO of the Target Corporation. Ulrich is a self-proclaimed “music lover,” who created the museum to help people learn more about the history of music.
A collector of African art and a world museum enthusiast, Ulrich and his friend Marc Felix originated the idea after a visit to the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, Belgium. The design of the museum benefited as well from the consultation of the Musée de la Musique in Paris modernized in 1997.[2]
Executive Director April Salomon has been with the MIM since its inception, and was named director last year. She believes the success is based on the distinctiveness of the concept and wealth of offerings. This museum has instruments that are not only played in Western countries, but instruments that are played all over the world every day.
The contemporary building covers approximately 200,000 square-feet, with two floors of galleries. The museum was built at a cost of over US$250 million. The exhibit for each country features a flat-screen high-resolution video showing local musicians performing on native instruments. Visitors can listen to the performances through a wireless device with headphones that is activated automatically when an exhibit is being observed.
The facility also contains a 299-seat theater for concerts, which are held primarily after regular hours. Violinist Joshua Bell recorded his album “French Impressions” in the theater in 2011.[3] [4]
There is also an “experience gallery” for children to play various instruments at the museum. Here is the Musical Instrument Museum’s theater concert lineup for Winter and Spring 2024/2025: Concert Series Lineup – Musical Instrument Museum
They have some great concerts at the M.I.M. theatre! Violinist Rachel Barton Pine will be playing there on April 5th, 2025.
Now through April 30th, 2025, there also is a Stradivarius and fine European violin and guitar exhibit. There are 70 of the finest European violins, bows, guitars and lutes on display. Take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to see some of the finest instruments ever made in the history of the world!
The Musical Instrument Museum also has a global café, called Café Allegro. Here is the link: https://mim.org/cafe-allegro/
It offers a wide variety of soups, salads, and grilled foods and gives one a chance to rest and re-nourish oneself, as there is so much to take in at this phenomenal museum!
A stunning collection of violins, guitars, lutes, and bows spanning four centuries of exceptional artistry.
Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars.
The exhibition presents more than 70 exemplary string instruments and bows made by Antonio Stradivari and other preeminent European makers of the 16th to the 19th century. This collection of spectacular violins, guitars, lutes, and bows shows how the materials and techniques developed by Stradivari and other iconic luthiers, such as Andrea Amati and Giuseppe Guarneri “del Gesù,” elevated fine string instruments into timeless masterpieces that remain astonishing today.
“The name Stradivarius is synonymous with the pinnacle of violin making,” says Matthew Zeller, MIM’s curator for Europe. “Other European instrument makers achieved similar levels of excellence. This exhibition will introduce guests to these influential makers and reveal many fascinating connections between violin making and guitar making, providing guests with an opportunity to relate centuries-old masterworks to modern instruments in their own lives.”
In addition to historic instruments from MIM’s permanent collection and loans from renowned institutions such as the National Music Museum, the exhibition features loans from private collectors, many of which have never been publicly displayed.
Exhibition highlights include:
“Tartini” violin by Antonio Stradivari, 1726. This magnificent violin was made during the great Cremonese master’s late period and is one of the most prized instruments in the world. Private Collection
Mandolino coristo by Antonio Stradivari, c. 1700–1710. One of only two known surviving mandolins by Stradivari, this instrument is displayed with its original case. Loan courtesy of Beare Violins Ltd
Violin by Andrea Amati, c. 1560s. Andrea Amati created the violin and the violin family as we know them today. This violin is one of only twenty-three documented Amati instruments known to survive today. MIM Collection
Violin by Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri “del Gesù,” 1728. This important violin dates to the early period of Guarneri’s independence, displaying the influence of his father’s training but also his personal style. Loan courtesy of Beare Violins Ltd
Violin bow by François Xavier Tourte, c. 1785. Often called the “Stradivarius of the bow,” François Xavier Tourte solidified the modern bow in its current form and refined its features. Loan courtesy of Kenneth Warren & Son, Ltd.
Guitar from the school of Matteo Sellas, c. 1625. This Venetian guitar is embellished with ivory, ebony, tortoiseshell, and pearl, and it has a tiered “wedding cake” rose, a common feature of guitars until the mid-18th Loan courtesy of Austin-Marie Collection
Guitar by Alexandre Voboam, 1652. Fewer than 30 guitars signed by members of the Voboam family survive today; this is one of three made in 1652 by the great Parisian maker Alexandre Voboam. Loan courtesy of Austin-Marie Collection
Chitarriglia by Joachim Tielke, 1684. This lavishly decorated small guitar was made to be tuned higher than the conventionally sized baroque guitar. Loan courtesy of Austin-Marie Collection