“This is just one more unbelievable chapter in that violin’s life,” said Frank Almond, the concertmaster, expressing gratitude for the work of law enforcement officials.

[...] 

In an interview Thursday evening, Mr. Almond, who was out of town when the police located the Stradivarius, said he thought he would never see it again and was shocked when he heard it was not damaged. He expected to use it at a concert in Milwaukee early next week.

Stefan Hersh, a violin expert who appraised the instrument in 2012, said he had been contacted by the F.B.I. and went to Milwaukee on Thursday to authenticate the instrument. Seeing no damage, he performed a piece by Bach on the 300-year-old Stradivarius, a private concert for the police.