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NEWS IN BRIEF
Santiago Cañón-Valencia kicked off Copa Airlines flight bit.ly/3WZQte4Colombian cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia was thrown off a Copa Airlines flight on 13 October, due to the captain taking issue with his cello in the cabin – despite it having a separate business class ticket and seat booked. Planning to travel from Bogotá to Caracas, Cañón-Valencia told The Strad: ‘Someone from Copa Airlines came up to talk to me. At first I assumed that they wanted to give me the seatbelt extension to secure the cello on its seat, but instead this person said I couldn’t fly with the cello on board, due to captain’s orders.’ Unwilling to check his cello, Cañón-Valencia opted to leave the plane, thereby missing his weekend engagements.
Fundraiser for restoration of smashed cello bit.ly/3E3CwD7British cellist Tim Smedley has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £25,000 following an accident to his cello on 23 July when radio presenter Iain Dale fell on it at Buxton Opera House. Smashed into several pieces, the cello was written off by Smedley’s insurance company. His GoFundMe page can be found at bit.ly/3TPFaCB
Raphaela Gromes acquires 1740 Carlo Bergonzi cello bit.ly/3g5g7xe
German cellist Raphaela Gromes (left) has been granted the use of a 1740 Carlo Bergonzi cello, thanks to her long-standing patrons. The unnamed cello was discovered in an attic ten years ago and was bought at auction by a collector. There are only two other cellos attributed to Bergonzi, now in London and Taiwan.
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