Erica Morini; Violin Virtuoso

Erica Morini, 91, Viennese born violin virtuoso who performed on a prized Stradivarius. Miss Morini, who played several concerts in the 1950s and 1960s at such venues as the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and the Hollywood Bowl, was unaware at the time of her death that the rare 1727 violin given to her by her father had been stolen. The $3.5-million instrument that she played from childhood through her retirement in 1976 was taken from her New York apartment and the thief is still being sought. Miss Morini once bridled when a critic lavishly praised her as “probably the greatest woman violinist who ever lived.” She snapped in reply, “A violinist is a violinist and I am to be judged as one--not as a female musician.” First taught by her father, Miss Morini later studied at the Vienna Conservatory. She made her Viennese debut in 1916 and first toured the United States in 1920, moving to New York after the Nazis took over Austria. On Monday in New York.