Swedish cellist and educator Frans Helmerson has a quiet dignity about him. His playing, his teaching, and his conversation radiate refinement, calmness, and gentleness.
A copy of a fine stringed instrument remains a passionate and practical choice for many musicians By Richard Ward In 2007, Bonnie Hampton, who has taught cello at the San Francisco Conservatory and Juilliard, had David Wiebe make a copy…
Player An active soloist and chamber musician based in New York, Stefan Jackiw is a graduate of Harvard and the New England Conservatory, and a 2002 recipient of an Avery Fisher career grant. Instrument 1704 Vincenzo Rugeri violin, with…
New FAA rules remove mystery for musicians and airlines By Greg Olwell Airline travel can make people want to pull out their hair even under the best of circumstances, but it can be nothing less than traumatizing for musicians afraid of…
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With a little shopping and research, savvy bow shoppers can find great bargains from contemporary makers By Richard Ward Looking for a great bow? Thinking about buying a vintage bow by one of the great French makers of the late…
Though built for stability, some carbon-fiber bows warp. Why is that? By Jeff Van Fossen Q: How long does the proper camber last on a carbon-fiber bow? If the bow loses this camber, can it be re-cambered? —Paul Peterson Bow maker…
Lisa Batiashvili is promoting Escaich concerto for violin and oboe By Laurence Vittes These days, among the array of young soloists clamoring for public attention, an increasing number of superstars, like violinist Lisa Batiashvili, are making a priority of finding…
The practice of scales, arpeggios, and double-stops is integral to building a solid foundation About the Player: Jessica Bodner is the violist with the Grammy-winning Parker Quartet, which received both its undergraduate and graduate training at the New England Conservatory…
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By Stephanie Powell The Sphinx Organization, founded by Aaron P. Dworkin, announced its new successor, Afa S. Dworkin. Aaron P. Dworkin, currently serving as president, will leave his position to become the dean of the University of Michigan’s School of…
By Stephanie Powell The American String Teachers Association (ASTA) opened last night with a performance from the BYU Philharmonic in concert with cellist Lynn Harrell at Salt Lake County Center for the Arts’ Abravanel Hall. The 2015 conference is being held in…
By Stephanie Powell “What’s on your mind?” asks Heidi Rogers, owner of Frank Music Company, “What do you want to ask me?” It’s been a long week. March 6 marked the last day Rogers would handwrite a receipt, tie it up…
By Stephanie Powell “Quiet,” says cellist Michelle Djokic of the New Century Chamber Orchestra (NCCO) to her gregarious and chatty cohorts. “The boss has something to say!” “Which boss?” quips Glenn Dicterow, the New York Philharmonic’s former longtime concertmaster. It’s the…
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The students love them, but why were they installed? By James N. McKean Q: I’m a high-school orchestra director who inherited a range of instruments when I took over the program. Two of the cellos have what I call “mini-bass…
Danjulo Ishizaka on one of Stradivari’s last cellos, the 1730 ‘Feuermann’ Player Described by Rostropovich as “phenomenal in his technical ability, perfect in his musical creative power,” German-Japanese cellist Danjulo Ishizaka regularly records and performs as a soloist and chamber musician. His…
Pablo Casals’ 1733 Goffriller cello is the crown jewel of cellos By Martin Steinberg The contrasts are quite startling. Pablo Casals died in 1973, Amit Peled was born that year. Casals was a diminutive 5-feet-4, Peled is a towering 6-feet-5.…
He helped to inspire Kronos Quartet and fostered a chamber-music revolution By Greg Cahill In 1973, chamber music was the most genteel form of Western classical music, I wrote a couple of years ago in a tribute to the Kronos…
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Or what I did on my summer vacation By Sarah Freiberg For a musician, summer often offers a wealth of opportunities to perform and teach in vastly different settings. My last summer “vacation” offered many chances to work and play…
Rachel Barton Pine opens up about tackling Mozart, becoming a confident composer, and being a mom By Whitney Phaneuf Rachel Barton Pine is living the dream. At 40, she’s raising a three-year-old budding violinist, writing and publishing her own cadenzas,…
Janine Jansen is right at home both on her latest Bach CD and modern concerto premiere By Laurence Vittes As Dutch violinist Janine Jansen’s star has risen internationally, her commitment to her country and to the city of Utrecht, where…
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