I met Simone Fernando Sacconi about twenty years ago during my first concert tour in America, when the Maestro was still at the Wurlitzer shop on 42nd Street. I was immediately fascinated by the extraordinary personality, human and professional, of Simone Sacconi, by his incredible knowledge of antique violinmaking, and by his sublime skill in creation and restoration.

I would like to recall an episode that took place at the Wurlitzer studio many years ago. A few months before, I had acquired a Guadagnini violin in London, and I was anxious to show it to Sacconi. The Maestro looked it over for a couple of minutes and then exclaimed, “Piacenza, 1745!” He was off by only two years!!! On the same occasion cellist Baldovino, who was with me in the studio, handed Sacconi his stupendous Stradivarius. In this case, too, after a couple of minutes the Maestro had no doubts: it was the Mara Strad!!!

Bloomington, Indiana, July 5, 1983

Taken from the book: «From Violinmaking to Music: The Life and Works of Simone Fernando Sacconi», presented on December 17, 1985 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. (Cremona, ACLAP, first edition 1985, second edition 1986, page 219 - Italian / English).