PHE Visits Musical Instrument Museum

Recently, my wife and I took a trip to Phoenix, Arizona to visit our dear friends, Gary and Tami Goldberg. As always, they went above and beyond — this time by surprising us with tickets to the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), along with access to its special exhibition, Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars. I expected an interesting visit. What I didn’t expect was to be so completely and joyfully overwhelmed.

From the moment we stepped inside, it was clear: MIM is no ordinary museum. It hums — literally and emotionally — with the sound of joy, curiosity, and connection. Every country in the world is represented through its musical instruments, each gallery displaying a rich array of between ten and thirty instruments (my rough estimate), grouped by region and culture. And this isn’t a static museum. Thanks to a smart headphone system, each visitor hears the music of whatever video is nearby — always live performance footage, often historic, and consistently excellent. Walking through MIM is like traveling the world, ears-first.

It’s impossible to absorb everything in one day — not just because of the museum’s vast size, but because it’s so hard to pull yourself away from each performance. Every stop is a new story, a new emotional thread.

One surprise was just how many countries featured the oud — not just related instruments, but the oud itself. I can’t think of another instrument I saw in as many different national exhibits. Naturally, I had to message my friend, the great Armenian-American oud player Ara Dinkjian (who appears on three of our albums), to tell him that a pilgrimage to MIM was a must. He responded immediately: it was already at the top of his list.

🎶 Fun Fact: The oud is played in over 20 countries across the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia — making it one of the most culturally widespread instruments in the world. Its rich sound connects traditions from Turkey to Morocco to Armenia and beyond!

And then there was the Stradivarius exhibit. If you love instruments, craftsmanship, or history — or simply beauty — this show is unmissable. Of course I knew Cremona, Italy was special, but I had substantially underestimated the breadth of that city’s accomplishments. We saw masterpieces from Andrea Amati, its 16th-century visionary who invented the modern violin, and from Antonio Stradivari, whose instruments are still unrivaled. But the exhibit went far beyond violins — showcasing mandolins, lutes, guitars, violas da gamba, and more, not only from Cremona, but from across Europe, each one a work of art in both form and sound.

A particularly magical moment: as I was reluctantly preparing to leave the exhibit, I noticed someone sitting near the entrance. It was none other than Rachel Barton Pine, the world-renowned violinist — a few feet away from the video in which she was playing one of the violins. I was too shy to introduce myself, partly because her face showed that she was deeply enjoying the quiet beauty of the room, full of priceless, gorgeous instruments and appreciative people silently listening to a feast of sound.

We also had the pleasure of attending a concert in the MIM performance hall the next evening — a venue with stunning acoustics that hosts more than 200 performances a year. If you’re planning a visit, do yourself a favor and secure concert tickets in advance. It’s an ideal way to end a day (or two!) of sonic exploration.

The Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars exhibit runs through September 14, 2025, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. But really, any day at MIM is a gift. Whether you’re a musician, a music lover, or just someone who enjoys being moved by beauty and culture, this museum is unlike anything else.

Go with time. Go with friends. And go ready to listen — really listen.

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