Travel Cello

The Solomon Mark 1 Travel Cello 2009

This is a full-size, collapsible cello for travel, built in one week for a trip to the Galapagos Islands. The instrument is designed to be small and collapsible for travel but uses spacers and outriggers when assembled to match the touch-point dimensions of a full-size cello. Dowels on the rear spacer act as a key to attach the neck to the body. At the same time, the stress of the tightened strings keeps the dowels, and thus the rear spacer, from falling out. The attachment between the body and the neck must be secure enough to withstand several hundred pounds of force exerted by the strings.

Finis origine pendet (the end depends on the beginning). In 2017 Claire won the cello competition at Indiana University Jacobs School of music. Listen to Claire at 23:30