Nicola Benedetti’s Stradivarius violin terror

31 July 2012, 10:12 | Updated: 31 July 2012, 10:15

One of the world’s most valuable violins was left on a train on Friday in Switzerland - no wonder the classical superstar is worried about her taking two £12million Stradivarius violins on tour.

Playing the violin comes easily to Nicola Benedetti. Carrying the instruments, on the other hand, is a cause for concern – especially considering they are Stradivarius violins, worth as much as £12million.

She was lent two of the world’s most valuable instruments by banker Jonathan Moulds on the condition she performed for him a few times a year. Earlier this year she carried both violins with her on a tour to Germany, which she described as the most terrifying two weeks of her life.

She said: “Nobody in the world would travel with that much money on them. Crazy.”

Stradivarius instruments are particularly valuable because they were created by Italian master craftsman Antonio Stradivari in the late 17th century. There are thought to be about 600 still in existence.

She has reason to be concerned. One of the precious Stradivarius violins turned up in the lost property office at Bern station, Switzerland, on Sunday, after its owner left it on a train on Friday.

In 2008, a US violinist left a Stradivarius, worth around £2.5million, in the back of a New York cab. Luckily the instrument was returned.