Violinist Dan Hodd was hit by a bus while cycling with his violin on his back in December 2022, resulting in a leg amputation, and the instrument in over 100 pieces
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British violinist Dan Hodd was hit by a bus while cycling in the Middle East on 22 December 2022, during a world tour. Following six weeks in hospital, he was repatriated to England, but medical complications required that his left leg be amputated below the knee several months later.
While Hodd survived the accident, his violin suffered a less fortunate fate. ’Perhaps the saddest part of my story is the fact that my violin was hit by the bus too and didn’t end up as healthy as I am now,’ Hodd wrote on Instagram.
The violin, a 20th-century Hungarian instrument by Sandor Elek, broke into about 100 pieces. Hodd was carrying the violin on his back during the crash, meaning that the instrument bore the brunt of collision, reducing the impact on his body.
’I don’t want to get too romantic about the matter, but music really has saved my life in so many ways over the years,’ he said.
In a post dated 9 January 2024, over a year after the accident, Hodd stated that the violin had been repaired. He outlined that luckily, the luthier Malcolm Williamson, who is the father of his good friend, ’out of pure woodworking curiosity, like a puzzle, he tried to reassemble and repair the instrument.’
Fortunately, all the pieces were retained after the crash, and the luthier was able to bring the instrument back to life.
Hodd is a freelance musician who has toured the world, focusing on street performances and collaborations during his travels. He aims to better understand the effect music can have on people cross-culturally, as well as gaining an insight into the sheer diversity of music across the globe. He describes his journeys as ‘eco travel’, travelling by train, sailboat and bicycle, avoiding commercial flights.
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