Antonio Stradivari could not have imagined that the decorated and matched string instruments he crafted so carefully would require a private jet to be moved to a leading university for an exhibition and a concert in the early 21st Century.

Stradivari, who lived from 1644 to 1737, created his string instruments in Cremona, Italy. Of the 1,000 instruments he created in his lifetime, the Smithsonian Institution owns what are believed to be the only surviving set of his decorated string instruments.

The Smithsonian was pleased to lend the instruments to the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana for an important musical celebration. The curators were not, however, pleased to entrust the instruments to a commercial airline for the trip.

When Sheila Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), and an accomplished violinist who studied at the University of Illinois as a music education major volunteered her private jet for the trip to and from Illinois, the Smithsonian, the University of Illinois and the music curators whoa responsible for the well-being of the collection were all delighted.

Johnson, who taught violin to hundreds of children in the Washington, D.C. area, invited Susan Starrett, her music teacher, to accompany her and the Strad collection on the trip.

She said she was honored to provide transport for the instruments that are the core of the Smithsonian's Chamber Music program to the Champaign-Urbana campus of the University of Illinois.

The Strads, renowned for their extraordinary craftsmanship and tonal beauty, are on loan for over a month, and will be played to kick off the university's 2006 American Music Month.

Johnson, Gary Strum, Smithsonian curator of music, Starrett and the Strads enjoyed a peaceful and uneventful flight.

Describing the instruments before the flight, Starrett said, "You don't play a Stradivarius, a Stradivarius plays itself."

Recognized for her philanthropy, Johnson is known for her contributions to the arts. She was recently recognized by Americans for the Arts at their annual award ceremony in New York City with the Freerick R. Weisman Award for Philanthropy in the Arts.

Johnson, who's passion for art education is well known, speaks nationally on the need to bring art back to the classroom, is also the founder of Salamander Enterprises headquartered in Middleburg, Virginia.

Antonio Stradivari, who was recognized for the quality of his string instruments during his lifetime, is believed to have perfected the violin in his workshop. Both his sons continued his work after his death.

Stradivari would, undoubtedly, have been pleased to know how vigilant the Smithsonian's curatorial staff was with his beautiful instruments, and honored by Johnson's generosity and commitment.