Musical instrument museums are institutions that collect and care for musical instruments.
The Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels is one of the most important musical instrument museums in the world. It has a collection of over 8,000 instruments from all over the world.
The Musical Instrument Museum in Berlin is another important musical instrument museum. It has a collection of over 4,000 instruments.
The Musical Instrument Museum in London is also a great museum and has a collection of over 2,000 instruments.
These are just some of the most important musical instrument museums. There are many other smaller ones in cities all over the world. They are a great way to learn about the history of musical instruments and their evolution.
In this list below, you’ll find the top 10 Musical instrument museums (and more!) around the world.
- Musical Instrument Museum, Brussels, Belgium
- Musical Instrument Museum, Berlin, Germany
- Musical Instrument Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Musical Instrument Museum, Vienna, Austria
- Musical Instrument Museum, New York City, United States
- Musical Instrument Museum, Paris, France
- Musical Instrument Museum, Madrid, Spain
- Musical Instrument Museum, Rome, Italy
- Musical Instrument Museum, Tokyo, Japan
- Musical Instrument Museum of La Plata, Argentina
The Royal College of Music Museum – London, England
The Royal College of Music Museum in London is one of the world’s leading institutions for the study of musical instruments. The museum has a collection of over 3,000 instruments from all over the world, ranging from ancient to modern times. The museum is open to the public and offers a variety of educational programmes and events.
Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente, Kunsthistorisches Museum – Vienna, Austria
The Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente in Vienna is one of the foremost musical instrument museums. It houses over 3,500 instruments, dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries. The collection includes everything from violins and flutes to lutes and harpsichords.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna is also home to a significant musical instrument collection. This museum’s collection is particularly strong in 17th-century keyboard instruments. It includes over 30 keyboards, as well as a wide variety of other instruments.
National Museum Sharan Rani Gallery of Musical Instruments – New Delhi, India
The National Museum in New Delhi, India has a large and varied collection of Musical Instruments from all over the world. The gallery is named after the Late Smt. Sharan Rani, who was a well-known Sarangi player of India.
The gallery has on display a wide range of Musical Instruments from various countries like Afghanistan, China, Egypt, France, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Persia, Russia, Spain and Thailand. These Musical Instruments have been acquired through purchases, donations and exchanges with other museums.
Some of the Musical Instruments in the gallery are:
1) Afghan Rubab: It is a string instrument which is played with a bow. It has a double-chambered body with two sound holes.
2) Chinese Erhu: It is a two-stringed bowed Musical Instrument which belongs to the huqin family. It has a cylindrical body and is usually played with a bow.
3) Egyptian Ney: It is a Musical Instrument which is made from reeds. It has a flute-like sound and is used in various genres of music like Sufi music and Arab classical music.
4) French Horn: It is a brass Musical Instrument which belongs to the horn family. It has a conical bore and is usually played with the right hand.
5) Greek Lyre: It is a stringed Musical Instrument which was used in ancient Greece. It has a pear-shaped body and is usually played with the right hand.
6) Indonesian Gamelan: It is a Musical Instrument which is made from bronze. It has a gong-like sound and is used in various genres of music like Javanese and Balinese music.
7) Iranian Santur: It is a Musical Instrument which belongs to the zither family. It has a trapezoidal body and is usually played with the right hand.
8) Iraqi Santur: It is a Musical Instrument which belongs to the zither family. It has a trapezoidal body and is usually played with the right hand.
9) Japanese Koto: It is a Musical Instrument which belongs to the zither family. It has a rectangular body and is usually played with the right hand.
10) Korean Gayageum: It is a Musical Instrument which belongs to the zither family. It has a trapezoidal body and is usually played with the right hand.
11) Nepalese Sarangi: It is a Musical Instrument which belongs to the bowed string family. It has a double-chambered body and is usually played with the right hand.
12) Persian Santur: It is a Musical Instrument which belongs to the zither family. It has a trapezoidal body and is usually played with the right hand.
13) Russian Balalaika: It is a Musical Instrument which belongs to the string family. It has a triangular body and is usually played with the right hand.
14) Spanish Guitar: It is a Musical Instrument which belongs to the guitar family. It has a cylindrical body and is usually played with the right hand.
15) Thai Kantrum: It is a Musical Instrument which belongs to the zither family. It has a trapezoidal body and is usually played with the right hand.
Bate Collection of Musical Instruments – University of Oxford, England
The Bate Collection of Musical Instruments is a world-renowned collection of over 1,000 musical instruments from all over the globe. The collection includes everything from ancient Greek and Roman instruments to modern-day instruments from all over the world. The Bate Collection is one of the most important collections of musical instruments in the world and is open to the public for free.
