Sculptor puts Swedish musical show on ice

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – A sculptor who created an entire orchestra of instruments from ice canceled his show at the last minute because he didn’t like the sound of the musicians warming up.

The concert was set for Sunday with instruments including clarinets, trumpets, guitars, cellos all carved from ice by New Mexico-based artist Tim Linhart. The frigid instruments were outfitted with tuning pegs, finger boards and strings.

But organizers said Linhart spontaneously canceled the show, part of the city of Piteaa’s annual winter festival, because he didn’t think the musicians were good enough at playing his creations.

That caused heated tempers among some guests in the 100-seat igloo concert hall.

“Linhart’s behavior was completely unacceptable,” said Christer Wiklund, head of the music school in the city, some 550 miles north of the capital, Stockholm.

“It was an insult to our city, who employed him, and an offense against the student musicians who have only had a few days to train on the instruments,” Wiklund added.

Linhart could not be immediately be reached for comment.