Calendar of Events | What's New   Current Exhibits   The Legend of Italian Violins: Treasures of Chi Mei Museum Dates: 2009/09/26 ~ 2010/01/17 Gallery: Exhibition Area II, 1F (Library Building) Visit website   ※ Admission: $250 (regular), $200 (students), $120 (seniors over 65), group tickets (1 free ticket with every 10 tickets purchased), free (children under 110cm), visitors with disabilities and 1 companion ※ Opening Hours: 9:00AM ~ 5:00PM, Monday to Sunday (not open on Saturday nights) The National Palace Museum, Chi Mei Museum and China Times Media Sphere Communications have collaborated to present the Special Exhibition, "The Legend of Italian Violins: Treasures of the Chi Mei Museum." The exhibition will be open to the public from September 26, 2009 until January 17, 2010 on the ground floor of the Exhibition Area located in the Library Building of the National Palace Museum. The exhibition chronologically narrates the 400-year evolution of violins using the 118 masterpieces from the collection of the Chi Mei Museum. This art lovers' feast will include 58 early string instruments and famous violins, 30 bows, 20 paintings, 5 sculptures and 5 craftworks. Beginning with descriptions of the earliest string instruments that influenced the development of the violin, visitors continue to discover the two Italian towns famous for violin production: Brescia and Cremona. From the origins of the violin, to the height of its development, to its rendezvous with the best French bows in the world, this exhibition will give a well-rounded view of the famed instrument. The exhibition will also dissect the structure of the violin, divulging to visitors the secrets of the beautiful sounds. The Chi Mei Museum began collecting legendary violins in 1990, and it is now the largest collector of violins in the world. Many world-class players including Yo Yo Ma and Cho-Liang Lin have borrowed from the collection of the Chi Mei Museum for their performances. A number of major international museums have also borrowed violins from the Chi Mei Museum collection for exhibitions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Musée de la Musique in Paris, and the Cremona Museum in Italy. The exhibition "The Legend of Italian Violins: Treasures of Chi Mei Museum" will be the first time in the world that the legendary Italian violins in the Chi Mei collection will be publicly displayed. Works include 40 violins valued at over NT$10 million, including masterpieces from the Amati, Guarneri and Stradivari families, accompanied by renowned paintings and sculptures related to the theme of "legendary violins." In addition to the 13 violins by the three renowned violin-makers: the Amati, Guaneri and Stradivari families, the exhibition will also display the "Maggini Quartet" strings set, the only set in the world held by the same institution. The multimedia display section will also be playing a film of the three violin-making families and the Maggini Quartet on special Italian handcrafted stereo system, to enable visitors to personally experience the delicate yet dramatic audio impact of these legendary violins. In order for visitors to better appreciate this exhibition of "sound," the National Palace Museum, for the first time, will provide the audio guide free of charge with all ticket purchases, so that visitors will not only see these invaluable masterpieces, but will also be able to listen to the beautiful music from the exhibit. In addition, the National Palace Museum is hosting a series of musical concerts. Visitors are welcomed to partake in this festival of art and music. ※ For more information about events, please visit the website for updates.   Back to Menu   Copyright © National Palace Museum. 221 Chih-shan Rd., Sec. 2; Shih-lin, Taipei, 11143, TAIWAN +886-2-2881-2021 service01@npm.gov.tw