In 1980, a musician named Philip Johnson left a concert in downtown Chicago with his prized possession: a rare, 18th-century Italian violin valued at over $250,000.
He stopped to grab coffee at a diner and placed the violin in its case on the booth next to him. Distracted by a phone call, he left — without it. By the time he realized, the case was gone. Police filed a report, but the trail went cold.
For decades, the instrument was considered lost forever.
Then, in 2015, a violin teacher in New York City noticed something odd about a student’s instrument: the varnish, the craftsmanship — it was far more sophisticated than expected for a teenager’s rental.
Curious, she took it to a luthier (a string instrument expert), who confirmed: this was no ordinary violin.
The serial number matched the one filed in the 1980 police report. It was Philip Johnson’s lost violin.
The student’s family had unknowingly purchased it at a flea market for $45 nearly ten years earlier. The violin had passed through several hands, never properly identified — until now.
In a heartwarming twist, Philip (now retired) was contacted and traveled to NYC to see his long-lost companion. Though he no longer performed professionally, he held the violin and wept:
“It feels like part of me came home.”
The family agreed to return the violin. Philip gifted the girl a new professional model in return — and the teacher? She got an honorary plaque from the Chicago Symphony for her sharp eyes.
