Sweet for Violin No. 1

Latvian–born violinist Baiba Skride is known for her clear, shimmering tone and for the remarkable colors she coaxes out of her equally remarkable violin, the one-of-a-kind Stradivarius Wilhelmj. Both will be on prominent display during the twenty-seven-year-old virtuoso’s debut with the Minnesota Orchestra this month, particularly when she plays Mendelssohn’s ever-popular Violin Concerto.

Though the concerto is one of the most beloved pieces in the violin repertoire, Skride keeps it fresh by choosing not to play it very often. “I’ll play it, then put it away for a couple of months, and when I come back to it, there are so many new and interesting things I haven’t noticed before,” she explains.

The instrument she plays is as legendary as the concerto. There are 650 surviving Stradivarius instruments in the world, but the best ones were built after 1700 and worth up to $6 million. Skride’s violin, the Stradivarius Wilhelmj (named for one of its owners, German violinist August Wilhelmj), was built in 1725 and loaned to her by the Nippon Music Foundation. According to Skride, the Wilhelmj has a deeper tone and more colors than a “typical” Stradivarius and it is the most beautiful, responsive violin she’s ever played.

“With some instruments, you have to work hard to express what you want to express,” Skride says. “I had another Stradivarius before, and it took two years to feel like I knew it. With this violin, almost right away I realized, ‘Wow, this can do everything I want!’ ”

Skride admits to maintaining a degree of distance in her relationship with the Wilhemj. “The thing is, you have to know you have to give it back,” she says. “You can’t fall in love with it so completely, as if it were your own, so I just try to enjoy every minute I have with it. I am so grateful and happy to play it for a while.” April 17–19. Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-371-5656,