Classical Notes: February 12, 2008 Archive

David Garrett: A Smashing Strad

Posted at 10:49 PM on February 12, 2008 by John Birge (1 Comments)

Violinist David Garrett is young, handsome, and talented.
Some call him “the David Beckham of the violin.”
But his rising star took a tumble this week, when David Garret took a stumble.
After a concert at the Barbican Center, he tripped and fell.
He was unhurt, but the accident crushed his multi-million dollar Stradavarius violin.

David Garrett told the London Evening Standard: "People said it was as if I'd trodden on a banana skin. I fell down a flight of steps and on to the case. When I opened it, the violin was in pieces. It was like losing a friend."

It’s not a total loss, but it will take 8 months and $100,000 to fix his fiddle.
Meanwhile, David Garrett will be back on stage at the Barbican for Valentine’s Day, playing another Stradavarius, on loan from a dealer.

Watch your step, David.

Meanwhile, read Brian Newhouse's amazing, inspiring account of the graceful recovery of another violin great who took a spill on stage at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis: Itzhak Perlman.

And enjoy David Garret hitting his stride at the BBC Proms:

Comment on this post