Overview
- During Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 at Lahti’s Sibelius Hall, conductor Matthew Halls struck Elina Vähälä’s Guadagnini, sending it to the floor.
- The violin flipped in the air and the orchestra stopped as Vähälä retrieved it.
- After roughly a two-minute pause, Vähälä resumed and completed the performance.
- Vähälä said the violin showed no visible damage and credited loosened glue joints for absorbing the impact.
- Halls later praised her poise, and coverage noted Guadagnini violins can fetch seven-figure sums, including a £1.5 million sale in 2018.