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A nearly 300-year-old Stradivarius violin, valued at around $16 million, took center stage at a concert in Brussels. Armenian violinist Sergey Khachatryan, performing with the National Orchestra of Belgium, showcased the historic instrument in the Belgian capital, Reuters reports.

Crafted around 1724 by Italian master Antonio Stradivari in Cremona, the violin is renowned for its unique sound and historical significance. It was recently acquired by a benefactor from the Stretton Society, a foundation that temporarily loans rare and exceptional instruments to talented musicians.

"As an artist, it’s an immense joy to connect with such an instrument… it’s incredible, with a beautiful sound and complex acoustics," said Khachatryan, who has been entrusted with the violin for the next ten years. On stage at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, he performed the technically demanding Violin Concerto by Johannes Brahms.

"Brahms’ music reflects the beauty of nature and human emotion. With a violin like this, you can truly bring that to life," the musician added.

The Stradivarius, known as the “Kiesewetter” after 19th-century German violinist Christoph Gottfried Kiesewetter, is among the most valuable of the few hundred surviving Stradivari instruments. The most prized violins are from Stradivari’s “Golden Period” (1700–1720).

Over the centuries, the instrument has been played by leading musicians, including Augustin Hadelich and Maxim Vengerov, who performed on it at the Grammy Awards in 1996. “There’s a beautiful photo of Maxim Vengerov with Sting and Elton John next to the instrument,” noted Stefan Jansen, co-founder of the Stretton Society.

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