Calgarian Arnold Choi wins 3 year loan of $8 million Strativarius cello

[Bunk]

Arnold Choi – a Calgary boy won a 3 yr loan of the famous 316 year old cello from the Canada Council for the Arts. This is a pretty big deal in the classical music world. I knew the guy as a kid at the Conservatory program at Mount Royal. He's was a freaky prodigy even at 6 yrs old (he was way, way better than me at that age when I was 11) and still an unbelievable cellist.

From his Facebook:
I am proud and honored to announce that I have received First place at the Canada Council's Musical Instrument Bank Competition. As a result, I will be performing on the 1696 "Bonjour" Stradivari for the next three years! What an incredible month!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonjour_Stradivarius

https://twitter.com/CBCEyeopener/status/238281296533651456

[Bertuzzied]

man. I would be petrified to take that thing of it's case everytime.

[You Need a Thneed]

Hearing about those expensive instruments always reminds me of this story:

A classical violinist Joshua Bell donned clothes befitting of a vagrant (a homeless man) and went busking in the streets of Washington DC in 2007, in his hand he held a Stradivarius violin worth around £1, 800, 000 and was booked to play that night in a theatre for almost double that amount.

He stood inside the station with his violin case open to receive money from any passers-by as buskers do and begun to play. Closing his eyes he got lost in the music, many people walking by said it was one of the most beautiful things they had ever heard, but most walked past as if he didn’t exist, some even looked with distain at this poor looking tramp begging for money.

Bell managed to collect $32.17 not including $20 from a passer-by who recognized him.

Snopes article on the same story.

As to the story, very cool. Like Bertuzzied, I would be petrified to take that thing out of it's case, or transport it anywhere.

[polak]

That thing has to come with a guard or a carrier or something... right?

[HotHotHeat]

I'd take the loan and rent it out myself for $1 million.

[MrMastodonFarm]

The girl I'm currently seeing is a cello player, apparently she knew/knows this guy too. She was quite excited by this news. Cello players hates when you call a cello, a cell-o.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Had no idea what thread title meant when clicking
"3 year loan of $8 million Strativarius cello"???

Pretty cool, great accomplishment and surely a great talent

[flamestalker]

Agreeing with the OP, this is a huge deal in classical music. Great to see Calgarian musicians being showcased like this.

Performance of music is definitely an incredibly difficult discipline, countless hours of practicing to hone your skill. A few days of not practicing will take a week to recover.

[Northendzone]

Better than playing a rusty trombone

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

The girl I'm currently seeing is a cello player, apparently she knew/knows this guy too. She was quite excited by this news. Cello players hates when you call a cello, a cell-o.

Chay-eee-el-el-o!

[ricosuave]

saxamaphone! LOL

this sort of thing is cool. hopefully they will do the same sort of thing with jimmy page's guitars

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Hearing about those expensive instruments always reminds me of this story:


Snopes article on the same story.

As to the story, very cool. Like Bertuzzied, I would be petrified to take that thing out of it's case, or transport it anywhere.

Wow -- I had heard about this story years ago, but I hadn't heard about the 1930 link before. That is amazing.

[Clarkey]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

The girl I'm currently seeing is a cello player, apparently she knew/knows this guy too. She was quite excited by this news. Cello players hates when you call a cello, a cell-o.

Got your yellow belt... nice!

[Morning Wood]

Originally Posted by Bunk

Arnold Choi – a Calgary boy won a 3 yr loan of the famous 316 year old cello from the Canada Council for the Arts. This is a pretty big deal in the classical music world. I knew the guy as a kid at the Conservatory program at Mount Royal. He's was a freaky prodigy even at 6 yrs old (he was way, way better than me at that age when I was 11) and still an unbelievable cellist.

From his Facebook:
I am proud and honored to announce that I have received First place at the Canada Council's Musical Instrument Bank Competition. As a result, I will be performing on the 1696 "Bonjour" Stradivari for the next three years! What an incredible month!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonjour_Stradivarius

https://twitter.com/CBCEyeopener/status/238281296533651456

I'm his cousin, and was also involved in music growing up. He was, and is, an absolute stud in the world of music. All his siblings are also extremely talented in music, and are still involved in it around North America. I'm really proud of them all. This is a real big deal to be able to handle the Strativarius cello. Hope to see it in person when he's back in town!

[polak]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

The girl I'm currently seeing is a cello player, apparently she knew/knows this guy too. She was quite excited by this news. Cello players hates when you call a cello, a cell-o.

Uh... what?
CH-EL-O right?

[redforever]

This is not the first time a violin of such prominence has been within the Calgary community.

The CPO’s Acting Assistant Concertmaster, who has been described as the “best upcoming violinist of the new generation” (Henry Roth, author of Violin Virtuosos, from Paganini to the 21st Century), has been awarded an invaluable piece of musical history.

Through the Canada Council for the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank Competition, Renée-Paule Gauthier has won the exclusive three-year use of the Taft Stradivari violin valued at an estimated $4.3 million.

While this person is not a local Calgarian, she did play this violin while a member of the CPO.

http://www.google.ca/url?q=http://www.cpo-live.com/pdf/September%252025,%25202009%2520-%2520Renee-Paule%2520Gauthier%2520Wins%2520use%2520of%2520Taf t%2520Stradivari%2520Violin.pdf&sa=U&ei=tHdkUJiCDO eyiQK2u4H4DQ&ved=0CBQQFjAA&sig2=nwAkqn4scOWWox-QL1CVyw&usg=AFQjCNFariytnOf45SP6w1A2grBOyCknug

[Locke]

So....where does this guy live exactly...?

[Phaneufenstein]

Somewhere in Connecticut right now... heard on CBC radio today.
This guy must be already targeted by criminals

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Got your yellow belt... nice!

Haha Nope, white. I'm done with the scary-clingy Asian chicks.

[Ducay]

Went to high school with the guy; he's one of those crazy amazing musicians would could simply replay any song after just hearing it once. Pretty amazing, and his success obviously echoes this.