By Pat Moran “What is a word?” Kaoru Ishibashi asks. “The more you use it, the more real it becomes, but a word had to start somewhere.” It’s a little weird discussing linguistic origins with Ishibashi, who admits he’s “a…
Philippe Quint, violinist Why is this an exciting time to be a string player? Music is the language of the soul, a path to creativity, an instigator of imagination. It’s math—it’s science. The world on four strings had always been…
String stars on the joys and challenges of being professional musicians today, and their hopes for the future Compiled by Stephanie Powell and Megan Westberg For 30 years, Strings editors have had the privilege of covering the string world, with each month’s…
Why is this an exciting time to be a string player? Whatever kind of player you want to be, people who appreciate your playing can discover you and encourage you. What kinds of skills do you think a string player…
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Violist Paul Neubauer stopped by the Strings studio, during a break from performing at the Music@Menlo festival, to perform three works by Alan Hovhaness and Joan Tower. Neubauer starts with Hovhaness’ 1944 work “Chahagir” for solo viola, and finished the Session…
By Stephanie Powell A 1753 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin led the way at Tarisio’s October auction, selling for $1.2 million. During this time period Guadagnini opted for an arresting reddish-amber varnish and a model that was generally flatter and broader…
By Stephanie Powell An unrestored c. 1789 Ferdinando Gagliano violin exceeded its estimated bid of £65,000-£85,000 at Ingles & Hayday’s October auction. The instrument, which was purchased by a Neapolitan noblewoman at the end of the 18th century and later…
Cellists should always have rock-stop options on hand. Here are a few basic types of endpin holders, each with its pros and cons.
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Watch violinists Evan Price and Jeremy Kittel perform fiddle-inspired violin duos in our latest Strings Session. The pair starts off with “Air Cannon,” an original tune composed by Price. They finish with another Price original, “Jungle Gym,” which he paired with the traditional…
Yamaha’s newest electric violin, the elegant YEV, has won a 2016 Good Design Award from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP). The screening process for entries takes five months and a panel of 76 international jurors weighs in. “We…
By Megan Westberg Halloween is upon us, and music lovers looking for a suitably haunting experience need look no further than the crypt beneath the Church of Intercession in Harlem. The 2016 Crypt Sessions concert series has been running since…
A touring fiddler shares thoughts and answers to your questions about life on the road. By Laura Cortese I’m asked a lot of questions about my life on the move. For example: “How are the joys of traveling—discovery and adventure—offset…
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From the December 2016 issue Compiled by Stephanie Powell and Megan Westberg 1986 “We discovered a composer among our flutists who had been writing music for a long time . . . He confessed an ardent longing to try…
Bach’s works for solo violin and cello are the Shakespearean monologues of the string world: The indefinable balance of technical mastery and interpretive insight they require is the touchstone of a great artist. Thomas May talks to six eminent violinists (Rachel…
SPONSORED POST A wonderful tool for any musician! Whether you need to cover up mistakes or notate new ideas, Overscore allows you to write in new parts without damaging the original score. Printed with industry standard 8mm staff lines, this…
By Caeli Smith When I watch old performance videos from middle and high school, I try to get inside the head of my younger self and remember how it felt to perform and play. What was I thinking about? Playing…
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From the December 2016 issue of Strings Ralph Kirshbaum’s long career began when he first debuted with the Dallas Symphony as a soloist at 13 years old. Kirshbaum quickly rose to prominence in musical circles, went on to graduate with…
From the December 2016 issue of Strings | BY DAVID TEMPLETON It’s a classic Kronos Quartet moment. As late-afternoon shadows lengthen across the sprawling “backyard” of Rancho Nicasio—a western-style roadhouse tucked among the hills of Marin County—the large, lawn-chaired audience…
In 2015, violinist Michelle Ross performed at Eleventh Street Arts, a gallery for contemporary art in New York that also hosts chamber-music performances, and unexpectedly won herself a job. Her performance of the complete solo Bach cycle, including her first…
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