US violist Penelope Knuth was killed and 13 other musicians injured when the Chilean Chamber Orchestra’s bus plunged over an embankment
A bus carrying members of the Chilean Chamber Orchestra (OCCH) has crashed in Chile, claiming the life of principal violist Penelope Knuth and injuring 13 other musicians, four of them seriously.
The accident occurred on 10 October as the orchestra was leaving a performance at the Federico Santa María Technical University in Valparaíso. According to Chilean news outlet Bio Bio, the bus plunged over an embankment into a condominium car park, crushing a vehicle below.
According to Bio Bio, Marisol Infante Soto, a violinist with the orchestra, alleged that the driver had made an error of judgement and struck a retaining wall before the bus left the road.
‘When a bend is very tight, you have to be very skilled to negotiate it properly,’ she told Bio Bio. ‘We had only just left the venue, so nobody had had time to fasten their seatbelt. From what I saw, though, even with seatbelts on, seats were being torn from their mountings. The bus was in terrible condition.’
Knuth, who was originally from New York, US, had served as principal violist of the OCCH since 1994, having previously held the same position with the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra and the Caracas Municipal Orchestra. She appeared as a soloist with the OCCH on multiple occasions, premiering works by Latin American composers.
She also worked as an associate professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile’s Faculty of Arts, and taught at the Teatro del Lago International Camp and the Funsincopa Summer Music Camp.
Her biography on the OCCH website, last updated in 2020, includes the following quote:
‘The Chilean Symphony Orchestra has been the most important artistic experience of the last 26 years of my life. I have been able to share stages with my colleagues and with outstanding musicians and conductors. But perhaps most importantly, it has been touring all over Chile, taking concerts to places as remote as Codpa, Andacollo, Chile Chico, and Rapa Nui, where I have been able to teach young people who are beginning their own journeys in the world of music.’
The Chilean Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage paid tribute to the violist on social media:
‘We bid a sorrowful farewell to Penélope Knuth, principal violist of the Chamber Orchestra of Chile, who passed away following a tragic accident in Valparaíso.
‘For over 30 years, Penelope dedicated her talent and commitment to the Chamber Orchestra of Chile, leaving an invaluable mark on the nation’s music. Her distinguished artistic career and her contribution to the promotion of music in our country form part of a legacy that will endure within our culture and among those who had the opportunity to share in her life.
‘At this difficult time, we stand with her family – especially her daughter Georgina – her loved ones, and her orchestra colleagues, extending our deepest condolences and full solidarity.’
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