Sau-Wing Lam’s Collection on Display in Cremona and the “Friends of Stradivari” Project
Cremona opens up to the world: this is the idea behind the Stradivari Foundation’s “Friends of Stradivari” initiative.

This project involves the establishment of a worldwide association embracing all those who possess, use or keep in custody classical stringed instruments manufactured by the world famous Cremonese instrument makers. The Friends of Stradivari association will also include those who study and appreciate these instruments, and all the people who are deeply convinced that it is important to further promote and develop stringed instrument making from a cultural standpoint, which is the Foundation’s main statutory objective. An international network will thus be established, with Cremona as the central hub, through which all the news regarding meetings, research events and initiatives o n classical instruments of Cremonese make will be efficiently and effectively disseminated. Moreover, the members will have the opportunity to learn about all the activities and proposals launched by the Foundation and to participate with contributions, comments and proposals for collaboration. This way, a true virtual community will be created, fostering a feeling of belonging and proximity to Cremona in all the people involved. All the members of this association are asked to pay a small annual fee to cover the expenses for the organization of the events. Of course, larger donations are always welcome. In this context, the Stradivari Foundation, in collaboration with the Stradivari Museum of the City of Cremona, has launched a “hospitality” project in Cremona for the valuable stringed instruments of Cremonese pedigree scattered throughout the world. Cremona, representing the cradle of stringed instrument making, offers an opportunity to the owners of these instruments to put o n display in the prestigious city museum – with every guarantee in terms of safety and professionalism – instruments that would otherwise never be seen by the public. These instruments could thus be admired, studied, appreciated and researched by the expert and qualified visitors of this special museum, devoted entirely to the making of stringed instruments. At the same time, the possibility of putting new instruments o n display helps the museum’s o ngoing efforts to develop new and increasingly attractive initiatives. The Lam family, after lending some pieces for our recent exhibits and coming to know and appreciate Cremona and its initiatives in the field of stringed instrument making, has agreed to transfer its collection for at least o ne year from New York to Cremona, as a gesture of great friendship and collaboration. The Lam Collection was assembled in the 60s-80s by Sau-Wing Lam, who was born in Shanghai in 1923 and graduated with a degree in business administration from St. John’s University in Shanghai. Sau-Wing Lam then moved to New York in 1948 and became chairman of a large import-export company. He was very fond of music and an excellent amateur viola player and violinist, and began collecting stringed instruments, focusing in particular o n those of Cremonese origin and specifically o n Amati, of whom he possessed a whole quartet. After his death in 1988, the collection passed o n to his four children. Two of them, Eva and Lawrence, adhered to the project and brought to Cremona their 6 magnificent violins and 5 precious bows. The instruments will be played in concerts, exhibits or other initiatives in Cremona and around the world, subject to of course to the consent of their owners. We would like to take this opportunity to express to Eva and Lawrence Lam our profound gratitude, also for being the first to accept our proposal. We hope that other collectors will follow the Lam’s example and work with us to ensure that classic Cremonese stringed instrument making will increasingly be known and celebrated across the world.

Paolo Bodini President Fondazione A. Stradivari 


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