Kumho Petrochemical Provides 1717 Violin on Free Loan to Music Prodigy

Kumho Petrochemical announced on the 28th that it has decided to lend a masterpiece violin made in 1717 by Pietro Guarneri free of charge to Baek Suhyun (5th grade at Daechi Elementary School), a next-generation violin prodigy.

Baek is active as a violinist at the Korea Arts Gifted Education Institute.

The violin lent to Baek was made by Pietro Giovanni Guarneri of the Guarneri family, renowned as a prestigious Italian violin maker alongside Stradivari. In 1997, it received an appraisal certificate from Bein&Fushi, a Chicago-based instrument restoration company known for issuing credible certificates.

Kumho Petrochemical, which has owned this antique instrument since 2011, lent it for about nine years starting in 2015 to Lee Jeongil, concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra, and completed the return process earlier this year.

On the 28th, Baek Su-hyun is receiving a Guarneri violin and taking a commemorative photo at the Kumho Petrochemical headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Kumho Petrochemical]

Kumho Petrochemical explained, "We decided to support with the hope that the prodigy will blossom their infinite talent by directly experiencing the sound of this instrument that has endured through many years."

In addition to supporting gifted individuals through antique instrument lending, Kumho Petrochemical carries out various social contribution activities such as supporting the replacement of windows at welfare facilities Hugreen, producing white canes for the visually impaired, providing customized wheelchair assistive devices, and volunteering to deliver meals to elderly people living alone.