A historic violin believed to have belonged to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during his years in Vienna has been presented to audiences in Türkiye for the first time.
The 1764 Costa violin belongs to the collection of the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg and is rarely taken abroad.
It was brought to Istanbul for a special concert titled Mozart’s Violin in Istanbul, held Oct. 3 at the JETEX-iGA Terminal through a collaboration between IGA Istanbul Airport, private aviation company JETEX and iGA ART.
Violinists Nina Patrikidou, a graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and Yiannis Iatrou performed works associated with Mozart’s Vienna period and sonatas for two violins. They were accompanied by pianist Evgenia Votanopoulou.
Following the concert, the instrument was placed on display at the JETEX-iGA Terminal for visitors.
iGA CEO Selahattin Bilgen said the airport was intended to be more than a transportation hub connecting countries and continents.
Travel also brings together different cultures, ideas and people, Bilgen said, adding that art and aesthetics were being placed at the heart of that experience.
"We are delighted to host Mozart’s Costa violin, one of the most remarkable legacies in music history, in Türkiye for the first time,” he said.
Bilgen described the instrument as an invaluable piece of cultural heritage and said bringing its sound to Istanbul represented an important occasion for the airport.
Linus Klumpner, CEO of the International Mozarteum Foundation, said presenting an original instrument used by Mozart in Türkiye carried particular cultural significance.
He said Istanbul’s extensive cultural tradition made it a meaningful location for the violin’s first visit to the country, while the terminal created a meeting point for people from different countries through Mozart’s music.
The Costa violin was made in the Italian city of Treviso in 1764 by Pietro Antonio Dalla Costa, one of the notable violin makers of his period.
Mozart is believed to have owned the instrument from 1782 until his death in 1791. It was among the violins that accompanied his work during his Vienna period, when he produced some of his most influential compositions.
The violin is now regarded as one of the most important objects in the International Mozarteum Foundation’s collection because of its documented connection to the composer and its survival from the 18th century.
Its first exhibition in Türkiye and return to the concert stage in Istanbul marked a rare opportunity for audiences to encounter an instrument directly connected to Mozart’s life and music.
