54 Violins Smashed and Destroyed by Ex-Wife

2017-12-16 String Instrument News

What a painful sight when a Norwegian born violin maker and player Daniel Olsen got back home after he got home from a business trip. Broken carcasses of violins and other instruments are scattered all over his workshop in Nagoya. The 64-year-old shop owner sorrowfully posted the video on social media last 2016.

According to the authorities who investigated the incident, his ex-wife, 34-year-old Midori Kawamiya was the culprit. According to their investigation, Midori breaks into the workshop of her ex-husband last 2014 smashing and damaging a number of 54 violins and other instruments worth 105.9-million-yen. She was arrested by the authorities last July 25, 2017, while she strongly denied any involvement in the destruction that happened.

Despite her denial authorities still charged her with the destruction of 70 bows and 54 violins. It was an act of rage as they can see dismembered chunks of instruments scattered all over the place. Some of the violins were snapped, and others were possibly damaged by a blunt object while some other parts were missing. Other musical instruments did not survive the havoc such as cellos and guitars. Included in the massacre was the 50 million yen or $450,000 Amati violin owned by Daniel.

This video will explain the veracity of the damage. Violinists and musicians are forewarned, this could be a painful sight to all of you.