It is now on loan at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nearly two decades later, the flute passed to author and collector Stuart Pivar for the highest price of any flute. Īfter Kincaid’s death in 1967, the flute passed to one of his students, Elaine Shaffer, who built an illustrious career of her own with the Kansas City Philharmonic, the Houston Symphony, and as a renowned soloist. He’s considered by many to have been the patriarch of American flutists. Kincaid had already made a name for himself, and over the next 28 years, he used the flute during his career with the New York City Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra.
Haynes flute value professional#
Later, professional flutist William Kincaid bought the flute. Made in 1939, it was originally displayed at the New York Fair, where it had to be guarded at all times. So what exactly makes it so valuable?įor one thing, this flute is made of thin-walled platinum with sterling silver keys. In fact, its auction price from thirty-plus years ago is more than $100,000 above the most expensive flute on the market today. While this is far less than some of the world’s most expensive instruments, such as Bill Wyman’s 1969 Fender Mustang bass guitar, it is still the most expensive flute in the world. In 1986, this flute was sold at auction for $187,000. Powell Custom Handmade Gold and Platinum Flute