Cheeky dog crashes a classical concert and steals audience’s hearts

20 October 2020, 17:21 | Updated: 25 October 2022, 17:26

A mischievous mutt took to the stage during a Rachmaninov music concert, and it was just wonderful.

A sublime duo became a canine trio, at the Virtuosi Gravatá festival in the summer of 2018.

As soloist Rafael Garcia and pianist Victor Assunción performed the finale of Rachmaninov's Cello Sonata, arranged for viola and piano, they were joined by an unexpected guest.

The Russian composer's music is notoriously powerful and fiendish for the fingers, but there was even greater drama in this show. As the performers neared the climax of the sonata, a local dog decided to upstage the performers.

Read more: Naughty cat disrupts live orchestra concert to the delight of everyone >

Taking delight in the music, and no doubt enjoying the coolness of the church and the adoration of the massed audience, the pouty pup enjoyed a good roll-around and scratch to the music, his tail-wagging faster than the violist's feverish bow.

It's not the first time a dog has stolen the musical limelight. Here's an occasion from an orchestral concert in Turkey:

Fazil Say: Dog interrupts live orchestra

A little bit of advice to our furry friend on this occasion: if Rachmaninov doesn't scratch your itch for you, nothing will.

But with smiling musicians, an enthralled audience and – most importantly – a happy dog, it appears that this performance hit the spot.