
Stolen Notes
When her rare instrument is stolen, violinist Min-Jin Kym’s career is overturned. Matthew Syed considers what we value and why.
It’s a cold morning in Euston Station in London and professional violinist Min-Jin Kym is about to get on a train to Manchester to play a concert. With her is her 300 year old, £1.2 million Stradivarius, one of the most valuable and precious types of violin in the world. More than that, this is Min’s Strad - it fits just right for her, it’s her constant companion across the world, it’s a relationship, a love. Until… it disappears.
Matthew Syed considers what we value and why.
With musician and composer Min-Jin Kym; Kathryn Graddy, the Fred and Rita Richman Distinguished Professor in Economics at Brandeis University; Claudia Fritz, researcher at La Sorbonne University, Paris; and Bruce Hood, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Bristol.
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten
Editor: Katherine Godfrey
Production Manager: Joe Savage
Sound Design and Engineering: Nicholas Alexander
Theme tune by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
On radio
Broadcasts
- Next Wednesday09:00BBC Radio 4
- Next Thursday05:04BBC Radio 4
- Next Friday16:30BBC Radio 4
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Podcast
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Sideways
Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives, making us see the world differently.




