December 15, 2024
An airline has denied Sheku Kanne-Mason a pre-booked seat for his multimillion-dollar cello.
Renowned British cellist Sheku Kanne-Mason has abruptly canceled a concert in Canada after the country’s airline refused to seat her multimillion-dollar cello.
Canne-Mason became a household name After performing at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018 at the age of 19. Since then, she has performed around the world showcasing her talent, and is currently touring North America alongside her sister, pianist Isata Kanne-Mason. CNN: reports.
However, the musical duo postponed their Toronto show due to their mishap with Air Canada. They released a joint statement on December 12 detailing the matter. The pair are also part of a larger musical family of five other siblings.
“We were deeply saddened not to be able to perform for you at Koerner Hall last night. We had a major flight issue and did our best to make it to you,” they explained to fans.
They also shared their unfortunate travel experience, noting that the cellist experienced delays in securing a seat for his instrument.
They continued. “First we had delays, then cancellations, and the day ended with us being denied boarding on the cello, despite having a confirmed seat, to a new, final flight to Toronto. After nine anxious hours at the airport, we realized our trip was not going to be possible.”
Musician’s website also explains the historical significance and value of the cello. The instrument on permanent loan to him was made in 1700 by the Venetian luthier Matteo Goffriler. According to a short film about the venerable item, it is worth more than $3 million.
“We can only dream of a time when all airlines have a standardized, global and carefully considered approach to the carriage of expensive instruments booked for cabin travel.”
Furthermore, their management has highlighted the constant difficulties they face with Kanneh-Mason in moving the instrument around, expressing how the trials often remain “frustrating” as artists try to perform in different places. The team also told CNN: that Air Canada has yet to apologize for that circumstance. Despite this, they refunded all the tickets.
“This is a frequent and extremely frustrating experience for Sheku and many professional musicians who have instruments to travel in the cabin,” explained Kanne-Mason management at EMM Ltd/IMG Artists. “We would welcome some constructive discussion from the airline industry body While Air Canada has now at least refunded all the tickets, we still haven’t received any form of apology for their mistake that led to over a thousand people had their tickets canceled for that night’s concert.”
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