I have this thing with musicians who play modern music on a classical instrument.

There is something sexy about funky beats played on a violin. I think Stradivarius would rock in his grave if he could hear it.

Not only that. I also greatly admire people who try to bridge the gap between the generation that only knows Strauss from the jeans and the generation of your average grey-haired classical concert audience.

But I have a particular weakness for handsome male cellists.

When I was 13 years old, I decided I wanted to switch from playing piano to cello lessons. For the next five years, I—about 154 centimeters tall—dragged my beloved huge instrument around in a even bigger white box. From home to music practice, from private lessons to youth orchestra rehearsals.

I was taught the cello suites from Bach, I practiced endlessly on The Swan from Saint-Saëns and I loved playing Piano Concerto No. 2 from Rachmaninov with the youth orchestra. I was never any good at it, really. Still, I enjoyed it and my noise was usually drowned by the rest of the musicians anyway.

At age 18, I got distracted by life: university, beer drinking, back packing around the world…My cello was neglected for years and finally sold, big white box included. I never picked a cello up again.

I would have kept on practicing until my fingers bled If I had known then what I know now…

Click on the video below and get ready to be thunderstruck.

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Editor: Rachel Nussbaum

Photo: Flickr / andre_anna