Publisher: Knopf Doubleday

ISBN: 9780593315415

A young man poised for greatness on the international music stage finds himself at a disadvantage when his instrument is stolen. As he scrambles to continue practicing and discover who the thief is, he remembers all of the life challenges he’s encountered. Debut author Brendan Slocumb puts his intimate knowledge of the violin and the classical music world to good use in his fairly predictable but informative first novel The Violin Conspiracy.

Rayquan Macmillian knows all about being at a disadvantage. He’s a Black man who grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the child of a single mother, and he likes playing the violin when most kids were into sports. He also owns an instrument worth millions of dollars when he never even took a formal music lesson growing up.

It’s astonishing to everyone, especially to Ray, how he came to own a Stradivarius, but the rare instrument is his. His beloved Grandma Nora shared stories with him of her grandfather, a slave and gifted musician who played his master’s fiddle to keep him happy. The master let his slave keep the violin, which eventually got handed down to Grandma Nora. 

Now Ray owns the violin, which at first doesn’t seem like much. His mother doesn’t care about it or Ray’s music. She wants Ray to finish high school and get a steady job—in the hospital cafeteria, maybe, or in a fast food joint. It’s not a glamorous life, but it’s a guaranteed paycheck that could help pay the bills.

Ray dreams of a different life, though, one where he gets to play classical music. When Grandma Nora gave him the violin, it was like a dream come true. Instead of using beat up school rentals, he has his very own. Sure, it’s dirty and old, but its tone makes Ray feel like he can do anything.

Soon after getting his great-great-grandfather’s violin, opportunities begin to come his way that Ray didn’t even know existed. A full ride to college lets him study music under Janice Stevens, a Black woman and experienced musician with important connections in the classical music world. Then comes the biggest shock of all: PopPop’s old fiddle was made by Antonio Stradivarius, a master violin builder, whose instruments are highly sought after for the purity and clarity of their tone. Its approximate worth: $10 million.

As Ray’s star begins to rise, he realizes more and more that he could be a serious contender to win the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Many call it the Olympics of classical music; the event happens every four years, and no American violinist has won it. Ray aims to change that.

He begins to prepare for the competition when the worst thing imaginable happens: his Stradivarius is stolen. As Ray battles his rising insecurity and the memories of a life of struggles, he fights to find out who took his precious instrument. It’s not about the money for Ray. Every time he plays his violin, he feels close to Grandma Nora. He’s not about to give that up, no matter what it takes to get the violin back.

Author Brendan Slocumb leans heavily into his own experiences as a Black violinist, and those portions of the book shine. While describing Ray’s feelings as he plays certain pieces, Slocumb gives readers clear insight into the depth and scope of the world of classical musicianship. His writing rises as high and clear as the notes on Ray’s instrument.

Less successful are the attempts at showing Ray’s encounters with racism. While there’s absolutely no doubt that a decided bias against people of color in the classical music world exists, the book reads more like a series of accounts rather than a cohesive fictional narrative. Some readers may get impatient to find out what happened to Ray’s violin and skip ahead to the present-day portions of the novel.

Although the narrative wants to keep it a surprise, astute readers will have no trouble guessing who stole Ray’s violin and why. All of the time Ray spends on introspection of the theft and how it functions as a “highlight” of a life disadvantage takes time and space away from the actual plot. The book vacillates on what that plot is: should readers focus on Ray preparing for the competition and the intense demands on a musician, or should they worry about the violin being stolen? Both have predictable endings, as does the book.

Readers curious to learn more about how Black people deal with racism in the world of classical music might enjoy this one. Others might want to consider a different book. I recommend readers Borrow The Violin Conspiracy.