By Dan Guyton | From the January/February 2020 issue of Strings Magazine Wearing a black suit, starched white shirt, and purple tie, I was sitting upright, holding my violin and bow at attention, as our conductor, Tom Riccobono, described to…
By Greg Cahill It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that bling. Traditionally, violins are supposed to be aesthetically unadulterated, though even the great masters were known to include a carved tailpiece, decorative pegs, or ornamented scroll on…
By Miranda Wilson | From the January/February 2020 issue of Strings Magazine Unlike the piano trio, where three talented individuals can come together convincingly on an occasional basis, a top-level string quartet is a full-time job. There can be few…
By Laurence Vittes | From the January/February 2020 issue of Strings Magazine When the Takács Quartet announced that Richard O’Neill would replace Geraldine Walther as the famed ensemble’s fourth violist, it represented the latest achievement in a career defined by…
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Fine tuners on violin, viola and cello generate a lot of questions. To help clear up the confusion, here are 5 things you should know about fine tuners.
Sponsored by Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates: Hailed as rich and captivating, the Colorado-based Altius Quartet has garnered an international reputation and attracts audiences with their energy and charisma. Through specially curated programs to appeal to any audience, Altius embraces…
From the January/February 2020 issue of Strings Magazine We asked luthier Alex Louis Reza which historical maker’s work is closest to his heart and why. Here’s what he had to say. “Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ is the historical maker…
Practicing slowly gives string players the needed time for their brains to compute the actions required for successful technique as well as musicality.
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Michigan-based fiddler Laurel Premo has been immersed in the roots-music world since birth—her parents are both traditional musicians as well. Her most recent collaboration, the Laurel Premo Trio, ties together the old and new—with her fiddle and Evan Premo’s double-bass…
CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF THOMASTIK-INFELD ENTER TO WIN A PRIZE FROM THOMASTIK-INFELD AND STRINGS MAGAZINE 1 GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive their choice of Thomastik-Infeld Strings (Dominant, Peter Infeld, or Alphayue). Plus a Revelle Falcon Bow. Winner can choose between violin,…
By Rebecca Fischer | From the January/February 2020 issue of Strings Magazine Pulling is an action I associate with the creation and recall of art. I pull the bow across the strings of my violin, conjuring up emotional worlds I…
By Brian Wise As it nears its 75-year anniversary, the Juilliard String Quartet could easily become the classical equivalent of an oldies rock act, trading on a faded name and reveling in past glories. Yet after several reshuffles to its…
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By Thomas May | From the November-December 2019 issue of Strings magazine When the Miró Quartet started out in October 1995, a prediction that it would be thriving a quarter century on must have sounded wildly optimistic. “Because we were…
Cellist Maya Beiser is an artist from whom one never really knows what to expect. Her projects are multifaceted, sometimes multidisciplinary, and most often draw on the work of contemporary composers. Bowie Cello Symphonic: Blackstar is her most recent recording,…
By Laurence Vittes In 1944, Polish composer Ludomir Różycki, a founding member of the Young Poland avant garde and a successful composer of operas and operettas that were staged at home and abroad, brought his new violin concerto to the…
By Laurence Vittes On a summer night in early August, Laura Kukkonen performed the first violin solo in the first movement of Bach’s Double Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Ray Chen at the Hollywood Bowl. The 17…
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Special Advertising Section from Strings Magazine Shopping for a string-playing loved one? Looking for yourself before the holidays hit? Either way, our Holiday Gift Guide is a great resource for scouting out all the best goodies. From music to play to…
By Stephanie Powell In an effort to save and reuse raw materials, like the silver that’s often found in violin strings, Warchal has launched Phoenix, a new line of recycled strings. Once a player has finished with a set of…
By Elizabeth Vander Veer Shaak Traveling internationally with African ivory–tipped bows has become a source of stress for many musicians over the last decade. Thus, when the ivory tip of an antique bow cracks, its replacement material is often a…
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