VC Young Artist Francisco Fullana Awarded Use of ‘Mary Portman’ del Gesu

It has been announced today that 26 year old VC Young Artist Francisco Fullana from Spain, has been granted the long term use of the 1735 ‘Mary Portman’ Guarneri del Gesu violin.

A graduate of the Juilliard School where he studied with Donald Weilerstein and Masao Kawasaki and current Artist Diploma student of Midori Goto at the University of Southern California, Francisco is a former 1st prize winner at the Julio Cardona, Munetsugu Angel and Johannes Brahms International Violin Competitions – and in September of this year was announced as the new ‘Principal Violinist’ of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, in Minneapolis.

“It is a huge honor to be granted the use of one of the string world’s true crown jewels … an instrument once owned and played by my idol Fritz Kreisler … ” Francisco has told The Violin Channel.

“I can’t thank the Stradivari Society and the instrument’s gracious owners Mr & Mrs Clement and Karen Arrison enough for their generosity and faith in me,” he has said.

The Stradivari Society of Chicago also currently supports VC Artists Paul Huang, Augustin Hadelich and Stephen Waarts.