When Shanghai Conservatory of Music student Wang Zhijiong takes part in the Montreal International Violin Competition in May, she will use a US$400,000 violin made by Italian violin maker Tomaso Balestrieri in 1782.

This violin is one of seven vintage string instruments that British violin dealer J&A Beare lent to the school recently. The school will hold on to the instruments for one year, allowing its top students to use them in international competitions.

These precious instruments made in the 18th and early 19th centuries are expected to ease the school's lack of good instruments for students to play during international competitions, said professors at the school.

"Every year, we have very good students taking part in different important competitions, but the shortage of good instruments was always an impediment," said Ding Zhinuo, a violin teacher at the school.

Last year, when student Huang Mengla took part in the 49th Paganini International Violin Competition, his was planning on using a cheap violin. But Burkhard Godhoff, a German professor teaching at the school, felt the instrument was too poor for the event so he lent Huang his US$80,000 Vincenzo Sannino violin made in 1923. Huang won first prize.

This year J&A will lend Huang the most valuable of the seven instruments -- a US$1-million-worth Carlo Bergonzi violin made in 1746. As student of the great Antonio Stradivari, Bergonzi inherited a workshop from his master and his instruments are held in great esteem.

"I am very happy to be able to play on such a good violin, which can make miraculously good sounds that ordinary violins can't," said Huang.

(Eastday.com March 25, 2003)