Lev’s Violin – crowdfunder launched at Hay Festival

Rescue Mission: Lev’s Violin

Bestselling author, Helena Attlee and Greg Lawson, violinist, composer, and conductor, are to launch a crowdfunding campaign to rescue and restore a unique violin, with a special event at Hay Festival, broadcasting free online at 11am, 28 May, at hayfestival.org/wales.

Helena Attlee was inspired to write the story of this violin when she heard it played by Greg Lawson at a concert in Presteigne, near Hay on Wye. She described its voice as ‘powerful enough to open pores and unbuckle joints’ in her book, Lev’s Violin: An Italian Adventure, which reached millions of listeners when it was broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week in April 2021.

But now this precious violin is broken. Its neck has collapsed and its fragile body needs thorough restoration.  It has been lying in its case for a year or more, unplayable until it is restored.

The crowdfunding campaign is led by Helena Attlee. The campaign team includes Greg Lawson, violinist with Scotland’s leading orchestras and a member of Moishe’s Bagel, a band playing Klezmer and world music, and Dr Lev Atlas, principal viola at the Scottish Opera Orchestra, who smuggled the violin out of Russia in the 1980s. The restoration has been facilitated by Martin Swan of Martin Swan Violins, and will be carried out by violin maker and restorer Anette Fajardo.

The crowdfunding campaign aims to raise sufficient funds to restore Lev’s violin and give its wonderful voice back to the world for another hundred years. When it has been restored, Lev’s violin will be offered on loan to exceptional students seeking out their own voices as musicians, and to other players with projects especially suited to its particular tone.  Any additional funds raised will be given to Music for All, a charity dedicated to providing instruments for schools, supporting individual musicians and community music projects.

Contributors to the campaign will be given the opportunity to hear the glorious sound of Lev’s violin on a newly recorded album featuring a variety of classical and world music. Among other funding rewards are tickets to an online concert with Lev’s violin, Greg Lawson and Lev Atlas, a signed copy of Helena’s book – Lev’s Violin – and the opportunity to welcome Greg Lawson to your home for a private concert.  The campaign will be launched at the Hay Literary Festival when Helena discuss her work and Greg plays live at a special event chaired by the broadcaster Francine Stock.

The campaign can be found here: SAVE LEV’S VIOLIN – a Music crowdfunding project in Presteigne by Helena Attlee Ramsay (crowdfunder.co.uk)