Members of the Lendvay Ensemble were unable board their flight from Amsterdam, despite booking tickets months in advance
A scheduled performance in Switzerland was cancelled after a group of musicians were denied boarding on a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight due to overbooking, leaving them stranded in Amsterdam.
The core musicians of the Lendvay Ensemble, comprising clarinettist Letizia Elsa Maulà, cellist Katja Didychenko and violinist József Lendvay, were travelling to Geneva, Switzerland to perform at Amis de la Musique d’Aigle for a performance on 19 April 2026.
Despite having booked their flights months in advance in January 2026 and making multiple attempts to check in and board, the group was ultimately refused boarding.
According to the musicians, they first encountered difficulties when trying to check in online. Upon arrival at the airport, the desk agent asked ’where is the fourth booked passenger?’, not understanding that the booking was for Didychenko’s cello.
The ensemble made two separate attempts to board their flight before being informed that the aircraft was overbooked and they would not be allowed to travel.
As a direct result of being unable to reach Switzerland, the concert was cancelled, affecting not only the performers but also the event’s organisers and audience.
’What is most concerning is not only the overbooking itself, but the response we received: that we should have “expected changes” because of Dutch holidays,’ the ensemble said on social media.
’We are working musicians. Our schedules, our audiences, and our professional commitments are not optional or flexible.’
The group emphasised that flight overbooking in this case had consequences far beyond personal inconvenience, resulting in the loss of a live performance and disappointment for ticket-holders who had been expecting the concert.
’Musicians deserve to be treated as professionals, not as expendable passengers,’ said the ensemble.
No comments yet