By Justin Nam
Notable concert tour cellist Daniel Cho, who in the past performed with artists like Coldplay, John Mayer and Katy Perry, died on July 6.
Cho reportedly drowned while swimming in Switzerland’s Lake Geneva with a friend. He was currently on tour with singer/songwriter Regina Spektor and was scheduled to play with her at the Montreux Jazz Festival the next day. Though the initial ruling was that his death was an accident, an investigation is ongoing.
Spektor, who decided to continue with her planned gig, was reported by witnesses to have been “visibly upset and crying” when she came onstage, and had to take several breaks to compose herself throughout the performance. She posted a message to her fans on her website and on Facebook regarding Cho’s tragic death.
“Dear friends… Thank you so much for helping us all during this nightmare time… Our dearest friend and cellist Dan Cho, who drowned in Montreux, left behind his beautiful young wife Julia and baby daughter Audrey. Here is a link if you are able to contribute to his memorial fund… we are trying go on and play for you Dan, and help people remember your beauty… we love you…”
Cho, who attended the Berklee College of Music and lived in Brooklyn, New York, also played with musicians such as Mandy Moore and Rachael Yamagata. He had his own rock band called Cooper, which had been featured on MTV’s The Hills.
Cho leaves behind a wife Julia and daughter Audrey, and will be buried on July 15 at George Washington Memorial Park in New Jersey.
Click here to learn how you can support the Cho family.