Rare contrabassoon stolen from Colburn School

The Colburn School is offering a $1,000 reward for the safe return of a limited-edition contrabassoon that the music school says was stolen last week from a rehearsal room at Colburn's downtown campus.

Alexandra Brooks, director of communications and marketing for the school, said Friday that a thorough search of the campus has ruled out the possibility that the contrabassoon was mislaid.

The instrument -- a Fox 950 model contrabassoon, serial number 622, less than a year old -- is one of only four in the world and worth $30,000. School officials say they will be unable to replace such a special instrument in time for a Nov. 8 concert by the Colburn Orchestra at Pasadena's Ambassador Auditorium, although a school spokesman reports that the show will go on.

Read more at the Culture Monster, The Times' arts blog.

--Diane Haithman

Photo: The Colburn School. Credit: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times

The Colburn School is offering a $1,000 reward for the safe return of a limited-edition contrabassoon that the music school says was stolen last week from a rehearsal room at Colburn's downtown campus.

Alexandra Brooks, director of communications and marketing for the school, said Friday that a thorough search of the campus has ruled out the possibility that the contrabassoon was mislaid.

The instrument -- a Fox 950 model contrabassoon, serial number 622, less than a year old -- is one of only four in the world and worth $30,000. School officials say they will be unable to replace such a special instrument in time for a Nov. 8 concert by the Colburn Orchestra at Pasadena's Ambassador Auditorium, although a school spokesman reports that the show will go on.

Read more at the Culture Monster, The Times' arts blog.

--Diane Haithman

Photo: The Colburn School. Credit: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times