Academic serialism, Cold War politics, shifting tastes, and some early promotional stumbles prevented many works from securing a foothold in the repertoire. A few determined artists are striving to change that.
Recording and releasing classical-style arrangements of pop songs could be viewed as a whimsical endeavor, but to the producers, engineers, arrangers, and musicians of VSQ, the music is no joke.
“Our mission,” says executive director Nicole Mack, “is to help students become scholars, artists, and leaders in our community.”
The independent nonprofit organization actively aids young classical musicians through arts education programs, scholarships, live events, and radio and television broadcasts.
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“I wanted to write a book that could be read by anybody who plays these pieces: Cellists. Violists. Bassists. Trombonists. Whoever!” says Klorman.
Extracurricular opportunities provide young musicians with exposure to the repertoire, culture, and customs of higher-level ensembles.
Face-offs pitting new against old violins have long predated YouTube, and some have been conducted with the rigors of science.
Creating an estimated total of at least 200 radio programs for WXQR, Field also performed several times on-air as a soloist, and served as concertmaster of the station’s orchestra.
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Founded in Venezuela in 1975, today there are El Sistema programs or comparable partner programs providing musical opportunities to kids in more than 70 countries.
Here’s a list of exceptional classical music radio programs that resonate particularly well with the interests and needs of string players.
Fifty years after his death, Herrmann’s music lives on in his iconic scores, orchestral suites, recital programs, recordings, and even in a hit ballet.
A champion of contemporary composers, Meyers’ website lists 38 composers whose work she has commissioned and/or premiered.
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To say that the Opry is steeped in tradition is an understatement.
The Grammy-nominated violinist-composer’s magnificent new recording brings a few lost gems to a world that, until now, has rarely had the opportunity to hear them.
The ensemble’s work with composer Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha’ Tate has yielded new perspectives on modern American identity as well as on the enigmas of the creative process.
“I have one foot in various roots traditions and the other on a banana peel,” says the 72-year-old violinist.
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Future-Fi is all about bringing great sound to small spaces, often with just a simple headphone amp, streaming Bluetooth device, and modest “near-field” speakers, headphones, or in-ear monitors (IEMs).
Setting up shop in Turin in the early 1820s, luthier Giovanni Francesco Pressenda managed to capture the essence of his country—a little bit French, a little bit Italian—in his work.
Seeking a canonic work to balance its 30th anniversary concert program, the group turned to the three string quartets of 20th-century Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera.
No mere collection of rustic folk tunes, the album is a reflection of the role that African music and African American musicians have played in the foundational culture of a nation.
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It can be frustrating trying to find what you’re looking for amid a tidal wave of pop, rap, and rock. Luckily, a growing number of streaming platforms cater to consumers and creators of string music.
We can loosely organize the history of sound recording into four eras based on the emergent technology of each period: acoustic, electrical, magnetic, and digital.
Two hundred years after its first performance in the Mendelssohn family home, the Octet is a fixture in public concert halls and private homes.
Although he was likely not the very first bass soloist, Dragonetti is widely known as the first bass soloist in the class of musician one would call “virtuoso.”
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