By Megan Westberg Violinist Janet Sung made her debut with a major orchestra at age 9, and went on to study with Josef Gingold and Dorothy Delay. Her career as a soloist from such auspicious beginnings seems a logical transition,…
By Megan Westberg Neyla Pekarek hadn’t played her cello much during her college years. She opted instead to study musical theater and hone her vocal skills. Her plan was to become a music teacher. Still, when she saw a Craigslist…
Player: Laura van der Heijden Title of Work: Sonata for Cello and Piano in C major, Op. 119 Composer: Sergei Prokofiev Date Composed: 1949 Name of Edition: Sikorski I think I first heard the Prokofiev Sonata performed live by cellist Fedor…
By Cristina Schreil For many musicians, the bond between player and instrument can resemble love at first sight. For eclectic violinist Tracy Silverman, the relationship is more unusual—more of a home-renovation project. Initially inspired by his passion for rock ’n’…
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By Megan Westberg Taking in a free concert at the Naumburg Bandshell on a sticky summer evening is a bit of a New York tradition—in fact, the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts have been presented, free and outdoors, to New Yorkers since…
By Laurence Vittes In 2006 at the age of 22, cellist Joshua Roman became the youngest principal in Seattle Symphony’s history. Two years later, when he left to pursue a solo career, he found himself with time on his hands…
By Megan Lynch Chowning I have been teaching the fiddle for 30 years, and since the very beginning, I’ve focused the majority of my educational energy on danceability and groove and everything rhythmic. Traditional American fiddle music—whether it’s bluegrass, old-time, Texas…
By Laurel Thomsen A quick web search for advice about playing faster on a bowed stringed instrument returns the suggestions that the player practice more, practice more slowly, and use a metronome to gradually increase the tempo over time. All these…
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By Megan Westberg Hilary Hahn has spent a lot of time thinking about her new edition. A lot of time. I get a sense of how deeply she’s been in the weeds by about 10 minutes into our conversation, as…
By Nicholas Cords Bartolomeo Campagnoli’s 41 Caprices, Op. 22, are rarities in the realm of 19th-century studies in that they are actually written originally for the viola. As such, they offer a unique window into the mindset of the 19th-century…
By Brian Wise When it comes to musical- instrument thefts, art-crimes experts will say that a few myths should be dispelled right away: • There is not a black market for musical instruments. • Premeditated robberies are exceedingly rare, vastly outnumbered by crimes…
By Greg Cahill Getting signed to a label was once the benchmark of musical recognition, as many among the general public still believe. I’ll admit to a pang of jealousy when colleagues of mine announced that their group had been…
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By Megan Westberg Weill Hall, at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center, is a study in rectangles executed in warm, honey-hued wood. The designers planned its aesthetic well: Though a recipient of rigorous acoustical consideration, the hall resists trendiness or…
If Op. 131 can seem an ultimate destination—Beethoven considered it his favorite achievement in the medium—this music resists “definitive” interpretations.
By Anna Pulley Thirty-year-old instrument restorer Adam Pelzer admits that he receives regular comments about his youthful appearance. “I’ve been called ‘teenage looking’ once by a concertmaster I did an adjustment with,” he says. “Apparently I look much younger than I…
By Megan Westberg The name Tatiana Hargreaves first came across my desk about a decade ago. We were still publishing Teen Strings at the time, and this promising young old-time fiddler contributed a “My Turn” article to the March/April/May 2009…
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By Cristina Schreil Outside Israel, many aren’t immediately familiar with composer Paul Ben-Haim. Israeli violinist Itamar Zorman hopes to change that. Born Paul Frankenburger in Munich to secular Jewish parents in 1897, Ben-Haim emigrated to Israel in his late 30s…
By Megan Westberg The Sphinx Organization bestowed its 2019 Sphinx Medals of Excellence on March 20 at first a luncheon, and then a private, black-tie celebratory dinner. The annual program awards three emerging classical artists of color, early in their…
Spring is, officially, upon us. As the ice thaws and grey skies slowly brighten to brilliant, flawless blue, what do you listen to in order to get in the springtime spirit? There are, of course, some obvious contenders in play:…
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