Compression of the upper cervical spinal cord due to stenosis of the bony spinal canal is infrequent. In the first case reported here, stenosis was due to acquired extensive, unilateral osteophytes centered on the left apophyseal joints of C1-C2 in an elderly professional violinist. In the second case, stenosis was secondary to isolated congenital hypertrophy of the laminae of C1 and C2.