Four Rare Instruments Entrusted to The Stradivari Society^®

At the 2008 Gala Benefit Concert for SEJONG, Master of Ceremonies Paula Zahn applauds as SEJONG'S Artistic Director Hyo Kang presents a special award recognizing the many years of extraordinary dedication and support for the ensemble to Mrs. Ban-ki Moon, accepting for her husband, United Nations Secretary General Ban-ki Moon.

The Samsung Foundation of Culture began an historic collaboration with The Stradivari Society® in 2006 with the placement of four great Italian stringed instruments in the The Stradivari Society's Collection. This joining of forces marks the first time that the Foundation has entrusted the administration of instrument loans and maintenance to another organization.

The collaboration developed out of the mutual respect and friendship with the Foundation built over many years by Mary Galvin and Geoffrey Fushi. Added to this good will was the recognition of the The Stradivari Society's® work over the last two decades with some of the world's leading young artists and the great impact The Stradivari Society® has made in perpetuating our classical music traditions and furthering knowledge of the great Italian instrumental masterworks. Both organizations have a common purpose: the support of promising musicians who are not yet able to acquire world-class instruments with loans of those instruments, thus alleviating one of the most prohibitive costs a young musician can face.

The day after the 2008 SEJONG Gala, Neal Shapiro, president of PBS New York, and Juju Chang, an anchor on ABCs 20/20, hosted a concert at their elegant Manhattan residence honoring Society founder Mary Galvin and patron Higgin Kim.

The Samsung Foundation of Culture has been a beacon in Korean arts and culture development since its inception in 1965. While the Foundation's primary role is the preservation and worldwide promotion of traditional Korean art, substantial support is also given to emerging and established artists in all media as well as the collection and exhibition of major works by artists of global renown. The Foundation is committed to both fostering healthy international cultural exchanges and enriching Korea's cultural landscape through the finest art exhibitions, performances, cinema, and literature.