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[Herald Economy=Reporter Kim Bo-young] A British conductor’s baton struck the soloist’s priceless violin during a performance, sending the instrument crashing to the stage floor.
On April 21 (local time), British tabloid The Sun and the classical music site Slipped Disc reported that the accident occurred on April 17 at the Lahti Concert Hall in Finland.
While conducting Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto, conductor Matthew Halls’s baton made contact with soloist Elina Vähälä’s instrument, launching it into the air before it fell to the stage.
The violin is a 1780 instrument made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, valued at about £1 million (approximately 2 billion KRW, 1.5 million USD).
Vähälä immediately covered her face with her hands and screamed. Surrounded by visibly stunned colleagues, she slowly picked up the violin and inspected it for damage.
The performance halted in stunned silence for roughly two minutes before Vähälä resumed. She finished the concert calmly and without further incident.
Halls said, “I’ve had the great pleasure of conducting Bruch’s Violin Concerto many times over the years. This performance is one I will never forget.”
He added, “Elina delivered a brilliant performance before and after the incident. I’m grateful to her as a wonderful colleague and friend, and I’m thankful for Guadagnini’s superb craftsmanship.”
Vähälä said she managed to absorb some of the impact with her foot and miraculously prevented the violin from shattering. “I thought I must be a ninja,” she said. “The violin didn’t crack or show a single scratch.”
She explained that the glue between the top plate and the ribs had come loose — a design that allows some give to prevent the top and back plates from splitting due to humidity changes. “This design also protected the instrument from the shock. The instrument’s angel was with it,” she said.
The violin was taken to a luthier in Helsinki, who repaired the loosened seam and fully restored the instrument; the repair did not affect its value.
Vähälä added, “We had a rapport and trust with each other, and that was enough. I believe he felt the same. I hope to perform with Matthew again soon.”
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