Cork cellist Sinéad O’Halloran aims to adding new strings to her bow

Cork cellist Sinéad O’Halloran is seeking to raise funds to buy her ‘dream’ cello. She explains why to Marjorie Brennan.

Sinéad O’Halloran, 24, from Blackrock, Cork, is principal cellist with the European Union Youth Orchestra and was recently selected for the Budapest Festival Orchestra apprenticeship scheme. She is raising money through a crowdfunding campaign to buy her ‘dream’ cello, made in 1780 by the English luthier Benjamin Banks.

Q: What makes a good cello?

A: Each cello is so different and each person is so different. It is really such a personal thing, the type of wood, the model, even the spike can make a huge difference. I have quite small hands so for quite a few years now, I have been trying to find a slightly smaller model that would allow me to still have a big sound but not have to strain my hands. Injuries can be an issue for a lot of musicians, especially those that play on big instruments.

Q: What are the factors in ensuring a cello ‘fits’?

A: It is quite important to try it out in different settings. I was really lucky that the owners gave me permission to take this cello on tour this summer and I was able to do that. So often when you are sitting behind an instrument, it sounds quite different than it does in the audience. Trusting your gut is important but getting opinions from colleagues, making recordings, listening back, and having other people reassure you is also helpful.

Q: Tell me about your dream cello [Sinéad has been advised not to reveal exact value for security reasons].

A: I stumbled across it in an auction house in London and I fell in love with it immediately. Usually, at an auction, you can try the instruments for an hour and then you have to buy it. I was really lucky, as the owners had just decided to sell it through a private sale, which meant there was more flexibility and they were happy to let me play it for a period of time and come up with the funds.

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Q: Why are older cellos so valued? Can modern ones be made to the same standard?

A: An instrument develops with time and with the musician. There is mixed opinion about old versus new. Maybe the older instruments have a special timbre but that also depends on the instrument itself. Obviously, there is something special when you think about the hundreds of years of adventures these instruments have had. It is certainly possible to find a modern instrument that can compete with the older ones but for me, this dream instrument just happens to be hundreds of years old.

Q: What is the price range of cellos for professional players?

A: You can find an instrument that’s not so great for €5,000, up to millions. I think $3m is the most money paid for a cello. Sometimes it might not be their actual value but how much someone is willing to pay. It is all a bit bizarre that this piece of wood can cost so much. It’s my voice so I’m willing to do what needs to be done to have it.

Q: How important is the bow?

A: Extremely important — each bow I tried with this cello made it sound like a completely different instrument. Music Network recently gave me support to purchase a bow. That was very exciting and the bow matches perfectly with the cello. For a really good bow, it can cost quite a few thousand euro. I was recently at Rutesheim Cello Festival where I met Thomas Acker, a German maker, and I loved his bows because they worked best with my cello. I made a shortlist of six bows that I liked best. I did a blind test with my class and my teacher, where I played with each of them. They all chose the same one, there was no doubt.

Q: What effect will Brexit have on the orchestral scene in Europe?

A: I am co-founder and artistic director of the Ortús Chamber Music festival and we see the amount of work that goes into things like organising visas [for visiting musicians]. I have already seen with the European Youth Orchestra, they have ended up moving their offices to Italy and Belgium. So many people are leaving the UK. No one knows what it is going to be like but I can only imagine it will cause a lot of difficulties for musicians. And also for us, British players will no longer be able to play in the orchestra, which is heartbreaking. I hope that something will happen and it won’t be as bad as we fear.

gofundme.com/help-sinead-buy-her-dream-cello; Ortús Chamber Music Festival takes place around Cork city and county, March 1-3; ortúsfestival.ie