Hi, I'm Dario, and I'm incredibly happy to have been playing this beautiful violin since September 2025.
I was born in 2004 and started playing the violin when I was four. In 2025, I earned my bachelor’s degree at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where I studied in Maria Milstein’s class. Afterward, I continued my studies with Mathieu van Bellen. In addition to working on my repertoire every day, I currently find the most joy in playing in a quartet and improvising.
Because I had developed a strong personal bond with my previous instrument, the idea of switching violins was initially very daunting to me, but that fear vanished immediately when I was allowed to try out this violin for the first time.
Even before I knew the violin’s provenance, I already felt: this is truly a Paganini violin. Not that such a thing exists, but I gave it that name right away. Suddenly, everything felt so effortless, and the tonal character seemed tailor-made for the Caprices. Funnily enough, the origins of this violin aren’t far from Paganini, both in time and place. Unfortunately, the maker’s name has been lost, but that makes it all the more special to be able to discover this violin.
Even in other repertoire, I notice how much this violin has to offer and how well I can express myself with it. The instrument has already given me a significant boost, and I hope to continue growing considerably with it.
