The year was 1985 and Dallas Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Emanuel Borok was staying in his European apartment.

With him, as usual, was the orchestra’s “golden period” Stradivarius violin (circa 1725), a highly valuable instrument of precision and grace — and one of only 600 violins made by the famed Italian instrument maker Antonio Stradivari.

That would be the last time Mr. Borok would see the instrument he once played.

The violin was stolen and would not resurface again for 20 years until, in 2005, a Stradivarius went up for auction, courtesy of a London instrument dealer.

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra had been on the lookout for the violin for years, and felt this could be the moment they were hoping for. It was.

The instrument up for auction — in pristine condition — turned out to be the very one stolen from Mr. Borok’s apartment two decades earlier. Finally, audiences would be able once again to hear the rich tones of a genuine Stradivarius.

On Monday, it will be a local audience listening to this famed violin. A concert by the classical ensemble, Trio Virtuosi, at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts in Clemson, will offer a rare opportunity to hear one of the most intricate musical instruments made by human hands. Violinist Gary Levinson will be the lucky performer wielding the Stradivarius.

“Each Stradivarius is special in its own way and this one fits me exceptionally well,” Mr. Levinson said in a recent phone interview. “Its plushness and roundness of tone. The Strad is sweeter, richer and, perhaps, more mellow in terms of tone color. It has the ability to stress things that other instruments just won’t.”

Mr. Levinson was offered this Stradivarius two years ago. After reclaiming the violin when it was found at auction, the Dallas Symphony paid $250,000 to reimburse the insurance company that had compensated the orchestra for its loss back in 1985. Then the orchestra offered its own concertmaster the chance to play the Stradivarius. Amazingly, he said he was happy with his own instrument. He thought Mr. Levinson, who had soloed with the orchestra, might like to use the Stradivarius on his concert tour. Mr. Levinson didn’t have to think twice.

“I knew in the first five minutes that this was an instrument I should play,” he said.

According to Mr. Levinson, this Stradivarius was made during the third period of Antonio Stradivari’s design career, his so-called “golden period.” It is a departure from Stradivari’s second period of design, Mr. Levinson said. Rather than focusing on the instrument’s sound penetrating power, the violin maker tried to create an instrument that “delivers lushness, beauty and focus in the form.”

A musical prodigy at the age of 5, Mr. Levinson has played several Stradivarius violins in his career. This particular instrument, however, is one he believes was meant for him.

“Sometimes, I will warm up on scales and even that is very special,” he said. “You might play G major a thousand times, and you will hear something different each and every time.”

The concert on Monday will feature compositions by Gabriel Faure, Frederic Chopin, Bela Bartok and C.P.E. Bach, among other works. Mr. Levinson will play alongside flutist Eugenia Zukerman and pianist Adam Neiman.

But the star of the show, for many, will be the Stradivarius violin tucked neatly under Mr. Levinson’s chin. After all, with so few remaining in the world, it’s a rare treat to listen to an instrument with such a storied history and sterling reputation.

“It’s a real partnership (between the violin and myself),” Mr. Levinson said. “(The Stradivarius) widens what I can do, and it’s an educating and humbling experience to play an instrument like this.”

The show begins at 8 p.m. at the Brooks Center, as part of Clemson University’s Utsey Chamber Music Series. It is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Brooks Center box office at (864) 656-7787.