A violin virtuoso replaced the airport cacophony of taxis and planes with the exquisite tones of a 285-year-old violin to give thanks to the cab driver who reunited him with his lost instrument. Philippe Quint, a Grammy-nominated violinist, played the private, 30-minute performance at Newark Liberty International airport's cab waiting area yesterday afternoon for Mohamed Khalil.
Quint said that Mr Khalil and his family will also have tickets to his next New York performance, on 23 September at Carnegie Hall.
The 1723 Antonio Stradivari "Ex-Kiesewetter" violin was left in Mr Khalil's cab on 21 April, when Quint was returning from a performance in Dallas. The violin, valued at $4m (£2m), was on loan from the philanthropists Clement and Karen Arrison, of Buffalo, New York.
After calling police and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Quint was soon in the offices of the Newark Taxi Commission viewing photographs of taxis. After Mr Khalil got word of the search the next morning, he arranged to meet Quint. After receiving the violin, the musician gave Mr Khalil $100; he also received an award from the City of Newark.
Mr Khalil, 57, emigrated from Egypt in 1980 and is an American citizen. Quint, 34, is also an immigrant, and took US citizenship after leaving Russia in 1991.
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