By Greg Cahill “Sound is about organizing emotions in time—that is music. I never impose a sound on music. Rather, music requires a particular sound,” reclusive producer and ECM Records founder Manfred Eicher told music historian Gary Giddins at a…
By Mary Nemet Camille Saint-Saëns: String Quartets, No. 1 in G, Op. 112, and No. 2 in E minor, Op. 153 Bärenreiter, €29.95 Popularly known for his inimitable Carnival of the Animals and other large orchestral showpieces, it was a…
Violinist Paul Huang stopped by the Strings‘ studio to perform Eugène Ysaÿe‘s Sonata No. 3 in D minor, “Ballade.” Huang performs on the 1742 “Wieniawski” Guarneri del Gesù, which is named for the Polish composer and violinist Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880).…
By Laurence Vittes In 1993 I reviewed Joel Krosnick‘s concert with Gilbert Kalish at the Los Angeles County Museum Bing Auditorium for the Los Angeles Times: “The evening’s star was A Life by the obscure Ernst Bacon, born in Chicago…
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By Stephanie Powell In 2020, the Takács Quartet will welcome violist Richard O’Neill, who will step in to replace current violist Geraldine Walther. After 15 years, Walther has announced she will be retiring after this season. The quartet, which was…
What’s your favorite part of the process of making an instrument—what day do you most look forward to? After more than 30 years as a professional violin maker, most aspects of my profession remain interesting and stimulating. And the varnishing…
By Greg Cahill Mathilde Schoenberg is not a household name, yet at the turn of the 20th century, she served as muse for one of the classical-music world’s most innovative composers and a figure in a tawdry tale—you could say…
THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS OCTOBER 31, 2019 Enter to win this exclusive custom Musafia Cremona Italy Violin Case. Only two others of its kind were made! Not only visually stunning, this case features incredible protection for your instrument including Tropicalization™, EnCase™…
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By Greg Cahill Over the years, Qigang Chen has composed numerous works—from symphonies and chamber pieces to film scores and songs—to become one of China’s foremost composers. In 2008, the largest-ever TV audience (estimated at 4.7 billion viewers) heard his…
By Augustin Hadelich We’re almost wrapping up my recap of a month in life of a traveling violinist. These four weeks take me to performances in Boston, New York, Eindhoven, London, and Cleveland! Last week, I flew to Amsterdam and…
By Emily Wright Picture this: an undergraduate student, standing in a busy city center on a sweltering day. In one hand, a duffel bag. In the other, a phone. She is trying to find her way to a bar where…
By Guy Fishman When I began my studies with cellist Anner Bylsma, who died on July 25 at age 85, I arrived carrying his book, Bach, the Fencing Master, which caused some controversy by suggesting that the bowings found in…
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By Augustin Hadelich The next four weeks will take me to performances in Boston, New York, Eindhoven, London, and Cleveland! After the final performance of the Beethoven Concerto in Boston on October 7, I took an early train the next…
China’s emergence in the top tier of violin-making countries in recent years is difficult to ignore.
By Laurel Thomsen Considered one of the world’s greatest violin concertos since 1845, when it was first premiered by its dedicatee, violinist Ferdinand David, Mendelssohn’s thematically lyrical and structurally innovative violin concerto has inspired composers and generations of violinists. After…
The classical-music world is buzzing (or slightly post-buzz) about violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter stopping a performance with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to ask an audience member to stop filming her. It was during the second movement of the Beethoven Violin Concerto—some…
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From our friends at the Menuhin Competition: In May 2020 the Menuhin Competition will be held in Richmond, Virginia. Known as the “Olympics of Violin,” this competition is a chance for extraordinary young violinists to showcase their talent in this…
By Greg Cahill Georgian composer Giya Kancheli has died in Tblisi. He was 84. A highly original musical thinker, Kancheli often attributed his artistic independence to his early listening. It was a love of jazz, firstly, that brought him to…
By Pat Moran Ever since she was a young girl, April Verch says, she wanted to play backup in a country band. Instead, the Canadian fiddler, step dancer, and singer embarked on a career as band leader and solo performer,…
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