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10 Tips for Learning Cello Technique and Developing Musicality
Here are 10 tips on learning cello technique and developing musicality, culled from cello journalist Tim Janof's 80 interview of the world's top players.
The Characteristic of a Great Restorer’s Work Is Invisibility
By James N. McKean If there’s any question in your mind as to whether a violin is as much a work of art as a musical instrument, consider this: Even though the scroll plays absolutely no role in the sound…
Thomastik-Infeld Celebrates a Century of Innovation in the Stringed-Instrument Industry
By Greg Cahill Thomastik-Infeld is marking its 100th anniversary as an industry leader in the manufacture of instrument strings. But its story really began five years before its founding, in 1914, when Viennese luthier Franz Thomastik, who held a doctorate…
Pirastro Strings and Rosin, an Elegantly Engineered Combination
Sponsored by Pirastro: At PIRASTRO we offer high quality rosins named after specific sets of strings. The engineers at PIRASTRO calculate how sticky a rosin needs to be to properly bow each string. They consider every strings core, tension, length,…
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5 Ensemble Players Talk Side Projects, Their Challenges & Rewards
By Greg Cahill Sooner or later, adventurous chamber players get an itch to work on a solo project or to collaborate with others on a side project. Making that move—breaking free of the comfort zone that comes from a longstanding…
Reviews: Fiddler Martin Hayes & Brooklyn Rider Team Up for a Blend of Irish Fiddling, Classical, and More
By Miranda Wilson Two related but markedly different string-playing traditions, Irish fiddling and the classical string quartet, come together in seamless fusion on this album by the Irish master fiddler Martin Hayes and New York ensemble Brooklyn Rider. Ten arrangements…
Holiday Gift Ideas for the String Player in Your Life
By Megan Westberg How many of you started working your way through your holiday lists, dutifully, in October? I see the precious few of you, raising your hands (trying not to look smug). For everyone else (scrambling to avoid my…
Luthier Christopher Germain Shares Why Stradivari Is So Close To His Heart
We asked violin luthier Christopher Germain which historical violin maker’s work is closest to his heart and why. Here’s what he had to say. I wish that I could come up with a surprise answer on this, but I can’t. Antonio…
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Cello Superior from Jargar
Sponsored by our friends at Jargar: “My search for the perfect strings is over! The Jargar Superiors are fantastic – all four strings have power and depth, with plenty of warmth without sacrificing projection. They are ready to play immediately. I…
Review: A Prismatic Program from the Danish String Quartet
This is a review of a performance by the Danish String Quartet on November 7, 2019; Meany Center for the Performing Arts, University of Washington, Seattle.
A Detailed Guide to Practicing Mark Summer’s ‘Julie-O’
By Benjamin Whitcomb The repertoire for cello is vast, and contains many single-movement works that are suitable as encores. One of the most distinctive is Julie-O by Mark Summer, a fabulous cellist and one of the founding members of the…
Pacifica Quartet & Sharon Isbin Celebrate Italian & Spanish Composers
By Pat Moran Spain and Italy have much more in common than shared Latin-derived languages and sun dappled beaches on the azure Mediterranean Sea. Cellist Brandon Vamos contends that the music from both cultures is compatible. “They work so well…
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Apply Now: 2020 Stulberg International String Competition
Sponsored by the Stulberg International String Competition: The stars of tomorrow launch their careers from Kalamazoo each year! Judges Clive Greensmith, Yura Lee, and Cho-Liang Lin will preside as 12 semifinalists compete for cash and performance prizes. Apply by February…
Violinists Discuss the Best Ways to Capture a Pure Acoustic Sound in Studio and Onstage
Pickups vs. microphones, pre-amps & amplifiers—what’s the best way to amplify an acoustic stringed instrument?
Learn About What Makes Boston Conservatory’s String Training Exceptional
Sponsored by Boston Conservatory at Berklee: To lead a successful career, string players must be versatile artists equipped with the skills and creativity needed to pave their own paths. That’s why Boston Conservatory at Berklee is taking a fresh approach…
Concert Review: Native American Inspirations
October 21, 2019: Native American Inspirations: PostClassical Ensemble presents the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Lakota Music Project (Washington National Cathedral) By Emily Wright When he was eleven years old, Emmanuel Black Bear lost his mother to a drunk driver—an event…
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Cellist Hee-Young Lim Shares Why She Will Never Stop Studying Bach’s Cello Suites
Player Hee-Young Lim Title of Work Being Studied Six Suites, BWV 1007–12 Composer Johann Sebastian Bach Date Composed It is likely Bach composed his suites for cellos when he served as the Kapellmeister (or musical director) for Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen at…
Black Violin Launches a New Album, a Worldwide Tour & One Very Big Message
By David Templeton “We can play songs that make you move, and we can play songs that make you cry, and all of that is great,” says violinist Kev Marcus (the stage name of Kevin Sylvester) of the acclaimed, Florida-based…
Violinist Augustin Hadelich on Working with New Conductors & Prokofiev Passagework
By Augustin Hadelich This will be my fourth and final installment of my blog series about a month in my life as a traveling violinist. These four weeks took me to performances in Boston, New York, Eindhoven, London, and Cleveland, and…