A BRITISH conductor knocked a £1million violin out of the hands of a top soloist after swinging his arms too vigorously during a concerto.
Maestro Matthew Halls looked on in horror after clipping the Guadagnini instrument owned by Elina Vähälä with his baton.
Maestro Matthew Halls knocked a £1million violin out of the hands of a top soloist after swinging his arms too vigorously during a concerto Credit: Jacksonville Symphony
He looked on in horror after clipping the Guadagnini instrument owned by Elina Vähälä with his baton Credit: Lehtikuva
Elina let out a scream and held her hands to her face as it flipped repeatedly in the air before crashing down Credit: Unknown
She let out a scream and held her hands to her face as it flipped repeatedly in the air before crashing down.
Mortified Halls held his hand up but incredibly continued to conduct during the performance in .
Vähälä slowly picked the violin to inspect the damage before Halls put his hand up and the orchestra stopped.
After a tense two-minute interval, she carried on playing.
Halls said: “I have had the great joy of conducting the Bruch violin concerto many times over the years.
“This is a performance I shall certainly never forget!
“Words cannot adequately express my admiration for this remarkable artist, who gave a blistering account before and after the ‘YouTube’ incident.
“Thank you Elina Vähälä for being a wonderful friend and colleague, and thank you Signor Guadagnini for your superior craftsmanship.
“All’s well that ends well.”
The suffered minor damage in the accident in Lahti’s Sibelius Hall.
Vähälä told how she used her foot to cushion the fall of the and miraculously saved it from smashing.
She added: “The gesture barely hit the violin but it was fast. I had played the last chord of the section and had released my grip ever so slightly.
“That’s all that was needed to send the violin to make three flips in the air.
“I discovered that I must be a ninja for managing to block the initial impact with my foot.
“Miraculously the violin got no cracks, no scratches even.
“The glue between the top and the ribs gave in, as it’s supposed to do, in order to protect the top and the back from cracking during humidity changes.
“Or as we discovered, from an impact. The guardian angel of old Italian instruments was present.”
It was the first time she and Halls had played together.
She added: “When I truly feel comfortable and connected with a conductor or a fellow player, I don’t have to look at them practically ever.
“The vibe and the trust is there and it’s enough. I believe the feeling was mutual.
“Hoping to work with Matthew again as soon as possible! We definitely share an intense memory together!”
Vähälä told how she used her foot to cushion the fall of the violin and miraculously saved it from smashing Credit: Unknown
The musician slowly picked the violin to inspect the damage before Halls put his hand up and the orchestra stopped Credit: Unknown
Mortified Halls held his hand up but incredibly continued to conduct during the performance in Finland Credit: Jacksonville Symphony
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
