Yes, and I noticed that the violinmaker in your article - who was part of the research team that administered the test - was very surprised they couldn’t identify what they were playing.
I’m guessing that Henryk Szeryng could identify them, since, when he was in concert, he played either Guaneri or Stradivarius. Interesting, because I can tell a Yamaha flute from a generic one.
Interesting, though. I know musicians who hear changes immediately, including a very dear friend of mine whom, although not a musician, minored in music in college.
He "hears" - and identifies very well - the characteristics of nearly all the components I’ve sent him (I gave him a stereo years ago). I simply ask what he heard with no other input on a discs we both have. He’d hear much of what I heard, which is gratifying, since I’m fairly old. In his case, he uses his system to guide him through classical music compositions as though he was reading a score).
My music training was in real life: my nana taught me how to play piano, starting when I was 10. I didn’t learn anywhere NEAR as well as she would’ve liked, though.
