By Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg First and foremost: Know the opera. Not just the music, which is very, very popular, but the story as it unfolds. And then be sure to understand the meaning of the aria you are playing. “The Flower…
By Patrick Sullivan It hardly made a sound when it entered the Japanese market 20 years ago. But when Yamaha’s Silent Violin came to America, things got noisy. Yamaha poured some two years and a lot of technical expertise into…
By Patrick Sullivan Mary Vanorny bought her first fine bow at age 16. The Minnesota fiddler has been making music for 30 years, often flying to Canada and Europe to play traditional Irish songs. And for more than a decade…
Toronto-based Baroque orchestra and chamber choir Tafelmusik is preparing for a huge change: its first new music director in 35 years. After a remarkable run with violinist Jeanne Lamon, the ensemble is poised to welcome Italian violinist Elisa Citterio as…
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By Megan Westberg “It’s called a step-and-repeat.” Strings managing editor Stephanie Powell has a background in fashion and in covering events like the Mill Valley Film Festival, and so was giving me an education in the terminology of fancy events.…
Violin-mandolin duo Scroggins & Rose, made up of violinist Alisa Rose and mandolinist Tristan Scroggins, stopped by the Strings studio to share some tunes off of their latest Baroque-meets-bluegrass album Grana. Watch the pair perform “Wyoming” and the album’s title…
By David Templeton “There have been a number of turning points in the history of music, and in musical education,” says Mark Wood. “Right now, I think, the work I’ve been doing with Electrify Your Strings has put us at…
By Inge Kjemtrup Diva. There is really no other word to describe the violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, whose perfectionist playing, glamorous style, and commanding presence inspires the kind of devotion usually reserved for operatic stars like Renée Fleming (who has also…
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By Cristina Schreil Before establishing his international musical-instrument company, Qian Ni arrived in America, where the generosity of others proved pivotal. “If it weren’t for that music scholarship or that flute he was given as a young boy and the…
Cellist Matt Haimovitz stopped by the Strings studio to perform three pieces. His partner of choice for his solo rep was a a three-century-old Grancino that the Quebec-based Canimex Inc. agreed to lend him while his 1710 “Matteo” Goffriller cello…
The triennial Singapore International Violin Competition is accepting applications for its second-ever event, with a deadline of September 30. The jury will pre-screen submitted recordings through a blind-listening process, and the live rounds, all of which are open to the…
Sponsored Story by Luis and Clark The $10,000 to $25,000 range is often cited as the price point to start getting high quality craftsmanship and tone from an instrument. This is the price range frequently suggested to serious students in…
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The Hanneke Cassel Band, made up of fiddler Hanneke Cassel, cellist, Mike Block, and guitarist Christopher Lewis, stopped by the Strings studio for a recent Strings Session. Watch the trio perform “Passing Place/Silver Special,” an original reel composed by Cassel…
By Inge Kjemtrup Two years ago, double-bass player Chi-chi Nwanoku—a founder-member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, teacher, and chamber musician—realized a dream. In 2015, this distinguished British performer, the daughter of Nigerian and Irish parents, launched an…
By Inge Kjemtrup The concert was late, but the Prommers were patient. What’s a Prommer? Well, anybody can be Prommer. All you need is £6 and a little time to spare for waiting in line before a BBC Proms concert…
By Thomas May Chamber music is all about knowing how to forge close partnerships. For the world-renowned cellist Jan Vogler, that instinct includes connecting to artists beyond the classical-music sphere. But he didn’t expect a serendipitous encounter with Bill Murray…
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Josefowicz’ account of the concerto was forward-moving and exhilarating
1 The transition from high school to college can be challenging as students get used to being away from home, dorm life, and new teachers. A teenage musician’s life is full of performance deadlines, which can really fuel early development.…
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. Enter to win a La Scala violin outfit from Johnson String Instrument and Eastman Strings! For every La Scala instrument purchased, Eastman Strings donates one comparable instrument to the Johnson String Project for a student in…
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