From 10 to 15 November 2025, the Casa Stradivari Foundation welcomed the renowned cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras for an artistic residency dedicated to the cello and to Cremona’s distinguished violin-making tradition.

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One of the most acclaimed performers on the international scene, Queyras brought to Cremona the magnificent Stradivari “Kaiser” cello (1707) - a historic instrument that returned, for one week, to the city where it was originally crafted, to be heard, studied and celebrated.

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During the residency, the Maestro led an intensive masterclass to ten young cellists from his class at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, offering participants an artistic experience immersed in the unique atmosphere of Casa Stradivari, where craftsmanship, music and interpretative research come together every day.

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The study sessions took place between 10 and 15 November in the Foundation’s spaces and concluded with two free public events at Sala Maffei (Via Lanaioli 7), organised with the patronage of the Chamber of Commerce of Cremona–Mantua–Pavia:

• 12 November 2025 - Open Masterclass, held at Sala Maffei, which allowed the public to observe Queyras working closely with his students;

• 14 November 2025 - Final Concert “Good Cellas”, during which the Maestro and his students performed a programme devoted to the cello repertoire, ranging from Renaissance masters to major twentieth-century composers.

 

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“Every time a Stradivari plays again in Cremona, the city rediscovers the voice of its own history. Every time an artist, together with his class of young musicians, comes to discover Cremona and its musical and violin-making ecosystem, it represents a great achievement for me. Promoting dialogue between artists, young performers and the luthiers who embody the great Cremonese violin-making tradition is, for us, a source of pride and gives full meaning to the mission that the Casa Stradivari Foundation pursues and fulfils every day”, said Fabrizio von Arx, Artistic Director of the Casa Stradivari Foundation.