Formerly owned by Roger Smith of the Gagliano Trio, this fine example of Gagliano’s work is now played by Thomas Mesa
Canimex has been loaning fine instruments to players for more than two decades. The Strad Calendar 2026 showcases twelve of these treasures, including five by Antonio Stradivari, two by Guarneri ‘del Gesù’, two by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini and – a first for the Calendar – a modern octobass.
1767 Nicolò Gagliano cello
The 1767 cello by Nicolò Gagliano of Naples is currently played by Thomas Mesa, who earlier this year received an Avery Fisher Career Grant from New York’s Lincoln Center. Its back is in two pieces of maple of medium-width flames ascending slightly from the centre joint.
The sides and scroll of similar wood while the top plate is of two pieces of spruce with medium-width grain at the centre, broadening towards the flanks. The varnish has an orange–brown colour over a lighter ground. Among its previous owners was British cellist Roger Smith, a member of the Gagliano Trio who also worked with artists such as Paul McCartney, Led Zeppelin and U2.
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Photos: Canimex
Read: The Strad Calendar 2025: 1747 ‘Palmason’ Gennaro Gagliano violin
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