cello
Gaetano Chiocchi
built in Two in ± 1870
A cello built by Gaetano Chiocchi in Padua, ca. 1870, with a label reading “Carlo Antonio Testore.”
Current player
Beste Yıldız
from Gaetano Chiocchi
History of this instrument
In 2005, the Musical Instrument Fund gathered a number of exceptionally fine cellos from which to select one for purchase. From a wide international selection, five cellos were chosen to be compared during a public sound test conducted by a professional jury. Two cellos stood head and shoulders above the rest. The Chiocchi was one of them. The other cello was by Bernhard Simon Fendt. The Musical Instrument Fund ultimately succeeded in purchasing both cellos. The Chiocchi was purchased from a Dutch dealer. Joachim Eijlander was the first to receive it on loan from the Musical Instrument Fund. He played it until March 2018. Then it was Kalle de Bie’s turn, and currently the cello is in the hands of Beste Yıldız.
About the builder Gaetano Chiocchi
Gaetano Chiocchi was a gifted and passionate man. He studied philosophy, medicine, and chemistry; worked as a doctor, violinist, and theater director; and was also a dedicated political activist who sometimes wrote inflammatory messages...
