This is one of only six remaining sets of quartets compiled with Antonio Stradivari’s (1644-1737) instruments known to exist today. All the instruments of this quartet were once owned by the legendary violinist Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) during the 19th century. Nippon Music Foundation acquired this quartet from the Corcoran Gallery of Arts in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and loans them as a set succeeding the will of Madam Anna E. Clark who donated the quartet to the Corcoran Gallery.

This violin is one of the very few instruments which still retains its original neck. It was named after its previous owner Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846), the Italian virtuoso double bass player. Dragonetti formed a large collection of double basses, violins, cellos, harps and guitars. Just prior to the Foundation’s acquisition, this violin was played throughout the world by the renowned violinist, Frank Peter Zimmermann (1965-).

This violin was named after the owner, Lord Newlands (1825-1906), who treasured it throughout his life. While this violin was in the care of W.E.Hill & Sons of London between 1964 and 1982, it was exhibited at the CINOA Exhibit of Bath in 1973 as the most outstanding violin in the Hill Collection. It is known not only for its excellent condition, but also its sound quality. The legendary virtuoso violinist Isaac Stern (1920-2001), who once played this violin, said that he felt the same power from it as his del Gesù violins.

This violin was once owned by an English astronomer, Sir William Huggins (1824-1910), who kept it until his death, hence the name “Huggins”. It was acquired by the dealer Zack of Vienna from France in the late 1870's, and was brought to W. E. Hill & Sons in around 1880, and was sold to Sir William in 1882. The violin enjoys a very good reputation for brilliant color of varnish and for good state of preservation.

This violin was once owned by the family of a naval officer Commander Young until his death in the World War II. The Young family had retained possession of the violin for almost 150 years, which is reflected in its superior condition. Nippon Music Foundation acquired it from an American amateur violinist and collector Ephraim Engleman, hence the name "Engleman".

This violin is recognized as one of the top three violins made by Stradivari along with the 1715 "Alard" and the 1716 "Messiah". George Hart, its owner in 1860s who was an instrument dealer in London, named the violin "Dolphin" as its striking appearance and the rich varnish on the back reminded him of the brilliant changing colours of the graceful dolphin. This instrument was also once owned and played by the worldfamous virtuoso Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987).

This violin is recognized as one of the top three violins made by Stradivari along with the 1715 "Alard" and the 1716 "Messiah". George Hart, its owner in the late 1860s who was an instrument dealer in London, named the violin "Dolphin" as its striking appearance and the rich varnish on the back reminded him of the brilliant changing colours of the graceful dolphin. This instrument was also once owned and played by the world-famous virtuoso Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987).

This instrument is one of three 1715 violins once owned by the famed Hungarian violinist, Joseph Joachim (1831-1907). It was later bequeathed to Joachim’s great-niece Adela d’Aranyi, who was a violinist and pupil of Joachim. Therefore, it is also known as "Joachim-Aranyi". The Violin had since remained in the possession of Adela’s family until Nippon Music Foundation acquired it.

The name "Booth" was taken from Mrs. Booth of England. She purchased the violin around 1855 from Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (1798-1875), the celebrated French violinmaker and dealer, to form a quartet of Stradivari instruments for her two sons who showed considerable talent. In 1931, the violin was passed into the hands of Mischa Mischakoff (1895-1981), a celebrated American violinist, and in 1961, it became part of the Henry Hottinger Collection in New York. The violin is well known for its excellent quality of tone, power, and good state of preservation.

The name of this violin was taken from Comte de Sasserno, a French owner in 1845. In 1894, by Mr. Pickering Phipps, owner of a well-known brewery in England. In 1906, this violin was passed into the hands of Henry Summers of England. It was kept well-preserved in his family for 93 years, which is reflected in its preservation of much of the original varnish and overall excellent condition.

This violin has been in caring hands of those who appreciated its quality over many years. This helped it retain much of its original varnish and is therefore a well-preserved example of Stradivari’s work. It is believed that the English collector James Goding named it "Jupiter" in the early 1800s. Throughout its history, it has been passed down through numerous well-known collectors including the Duke of Camposelice, W.E. Hill & Sons and Amateur violinist and clinical Professer of Medicine Dr. Ephraim Engleman. This violin has been played by world-acclaimed violinists such as Midori Goto (1971-) and Daishin Kashimoto (1979-), first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

The name of this violin is derived from a German violinist August Wilhelmj (1845-1908), who possessed it for about 30 years from 1866. This violin was his favourite among many precious violins he owned. He parted with "Wilhelmj" in his fifties, as he made the decision to "quit when at my best". This instrument is a very handsome and typical example of Stradivari’s work, and has a good reputation for its tone quality. Wilhelmj is also well-known for "Air on the G string", his arrangement of one of J.S.Bach’s Orchestral works.

In 1836, the instrument dealer Luigi Tarisio (1796-1854) brought this violin to France from Italy. By 1909, it had been acquired by the Samazeuilh family, hence the name "Samazeuilh". Virtuoso Mischa Elman (1891-1967), who came to possess the violin in 1923, wrote of it in a letter in 1926 considering it as "one of the best Stradivarius Instruments for tone quality". The inscription on its label records its maker’s age of 91 years. In August 2017, Nippon Music Foundation acquired this violin with a substantial contribution from a benefactor in Japan and support from The Nippon Foundation.

The label attached to this instrument bears an Italian inscription, "d’anni 92 (92 years old)", handwritten by Stradivari himself. It has a first-class reputation for its excellent condition and tonal quality. This violin takes its name from a famous collector and amateur violinist, H.M.Muntz of Birmingham, England, who owned it in the late 1800s. It is known to be one of the last instruments made by Stradivari, who passed away in 1737.

This cello was once owned by a well-known amateur player, Lord Aylesford of England, hence its name "Lord Aylesford". He acquired this cello in the early 1780s from the famous Italian violinist Felice de Giardini (1716-1796) and it was retained in the Aylesford family for almost 100 years. In 1946 it was passed into the hands of the world-renowned cellist Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976) living in Philadelphia, USA. In the years between 1950 and 1965, internationally acclaimed cellist Janos Starker (1924-2013) played it in numerous concerts and made 35 recordings.

It is estimated that only about 50 cellos made by Antonio Stradivari remain today. This cello is known for its relatively slim body compared to a standard size cello. From 1939, it was owned by Emanuel Feuermann (1902-1942), one of the greatest cellists in the world of him time. Feuermann performed throughout the world and recorded with this cello, hence the name "Feuermann".

This violin was made by Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri (Guarneri del Gesù) (1698-1744), a distinguished violinmaker comparable to Stradivari. The violin bears the label "Joseph Guarnerius fecit Cremone anno 1736". This violin is known as "Muntz" from its ownership by the same Muntz family as the 1736 Stradivarius violin. The instrument is in excellent condition.

This violin bears the name "Ysaÿe" from the Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931). Inside the violin is an inscription written in French with red ink, "This del Gesù was the faithful companion of my career. Ysaÿe 1928". It is well-known for having taken part in the procession of Ysaÿe’s state funeral, being carried on a pillow in front of the virtuoso’s coffin. From 1965, it was owned by the world-renowned virtuoso violinist Isaac Stern (1920-2001). Nippon Music Foundation purchased "Ysaÿe" in 1998, and Stern continued to play it throughout his life.