Help Replace Ludek's Violin

THANK YOU for your immense generosity! We are not needing to raise more money at this point. Please watch here, your email inbox, and our social media pages for an update in the near future.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email redacted] or [phone redacted].

At our annual Champagne Pops Gala Fundraiser, Anchorage Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Ludek Wojtkowski was performing the fiddle solo in "Devil Went Down to Georgia." The crowd was dancing, the vocalists were killing it, and Ludek was playing his heart out. On the very last note - the unthinkable happened. The crowd watched, not fully comprehending what was happening, as his violin split into several pieces. Ever the professional, Ludek took his bow and calmly walked off the stage.

Since this happened, he has continued to perform as the leader of the orchestra on a borrowed violin, but you can imagine how eager he is to get back to playing his own instrument. The violin Ludek has been performing with for years is from a Polish violin maker. He has been in touch with the maker and is planning a trip back to Poland at the end of THIS month (December) with the pieces. The violin maker believes he can repair the violin, but it will not be the quality it was and not the quality for a professional violinist. The value of the violin will also diminish, so the violin’s trade-in value will be much less than Ludek paid for the instrument.

The replacement is an unexpected financial hit for Ludek. Many who witnessed the violin breaking at Champagne Pops or who have heard about it have asked how they might help Ludek with the replacement costs. If you are inclined to help, please do so; any gift will help. Please note this is not a gift to the Anchorage Symphony and is not tax deductible. All funds will be given directly to Ludek. The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra appreciates any support you can share with him!