Cellist faces 7 years jail for NY climate protest

The founder of Chicago Baroque Ensemble John Mark Rozendaal was arrested yesterday while playing his cello in a stop-oil protest outside Citibank headquarters in New York.

Rozendaal, 63, was the subject of a restraining order, preventing him from approaching Citibank security. Citi called the cops and had the cellist arrested. If convicted, he faces up to seven years behind bars.

He wrote: ‘You’ve heard of musicians selling their souls to the devil? So here I am practicing and literally thinking, “If I can play this music tomorrow and not fuck it up, they can lock me up, I do not care how long.’

Rozendaal has been principal cellist of The City Musick and Basically Bach. He has performed with many period ensembles, including the Newberry Consort, Orpheus Band, King’s Noyse, Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, and Soli Deo Gloria’s Chicago Bach Project.