Julia Reddy is the host of the Violin Class Podcast and teaches a studio comprising solely of adult learners. She and online editor Davina had a chat about how adult students can be proactive and design their own musical curriculum beyond the practice room - a completely different game from teaching children. What are your favourite ways to enrich …

Many of us as string players will find ourselves teaching in one way or another throughout our careers. We learn and pass on this great legacy of tradition that has gone before us. But what else informs our teaching? How do we find our groove, so to speak, as teachers and players? Cellist Guy Johnston spoke with online editor Davina about finding h…

If you’ve read our February 2024 issue, you would’ve read our feature on the long-lost work by Ysaÿe, his Poème concertant. Violinist Philippe Graffin has recorded the work that had been undiscovered for more than a century – he joins online editor Davina in this episode to speak about uncovering Ysaÿe’s forgotten works, the history and inspiration…

How do you feel about improvising on a stringed instrument? While there are many musicians who specialise in this craft, you wouldn’t have to search far for string players where mention of the words ‘improv’ and ‘solo’ is enough to strike fear into their hearts. Violist and composer Jessica Meyer spoke to online editor and cellist Davina about how …

Double bassist Michael Rieber is the first solo double bass player from the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg. Not only does he hold a principal position in one of Europe’s top orchestras, he’s also released a recording of French works called Nuits Blanches. How does Michael find the time to take on two very high-calibre jobs and projects? M…

Violinist Alena Baeva spoke with online editor Davina recently about the music of Stravinsky – specifically the Divertimento from The Fairy’s Kiss, which was arranged by Samuel Dushkin for violin and piano. She spoke about how this music encourages the player to harness the power of the imagination to showcase the kaleidoscope of colours displayed …

Maja Bogdanović is no stranger to a busy life – she enjoys an international solo and chamber career as well as collaborations with regular musical partners, including her husband the violinist Daniel Rowland. Maja’s shared her thoughts with us previously on thestrad.com about travelling not only with a cello, but also with a small child. How does M…

If you’ve got a copy of our new February 2024 issue, (or seen it online) you would’ve seen our Masterclass feature on the first movement of Brahms’s Violin Sonata no.2, op.100 with violinist Daniel Kurganov. The interview for the Masterclass feature was just a tiny part of a larger conversation that, in addition to Daniel’s musical and technical ad…

In our quest for virtuosic brilliance and flair in our music making, as string players, sometimes we forget that coming back to basics is important for solving many problems in our playing and performance. Many people to get distracted by the complexities of a particular obstacle, or perhaps try and tackle too many problems at once, leading to a se…

Rachel Cooper is a violin teacher who was recently awarded the Emerging Artist Award given by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the 2023 Women in Classical Music Symposium. She’s a Suzuki teacher, a violin and chamber music coach at Junior Guildhall and works for Nicola Benedetti’s education initiative, the Benedetti Foundation. As part of her award…

Violinist Mahaliah Edwards spoke to online editor Davina recently about her approaches to teaching students in a wide range of scenarios, which call for actively involving pupils in music making and learning, and with Mahaliah taking on the role of ‘being the teacher that she would’ve like to have had.’ Perhaps you’re a string teacher interested in…

The city of Cremona is revered as being the historical birthplace and home of the violin and violin making, with luthiers today still emulating the models of Stradivari, Guarneri and the like. But what about the makers in nearby Brescia? Despite being geographically close, the city of Brescia has a remarkably different story, producing instruments …

The topic of adult beginners and adult learners is one that resonates with many readers of The Strad. Here to chat with online editor Davina about the mindset of adult students is violinist and teacher Rachael Ridge, who has written extensively on the subject for thestrad.com. She’s the founder of the Adult Violin Academy and speaks about her exper…

This year, cellist Laurence Lesser celebrates his 85th birthday, as well as 50 years at the New England Conservatory, where he is president emeritus. His numerous students appear in concert halls, orchestras, teaching studios and more around the world. He speaks to online editor Davina about his teaching methods and approaches, including the ‘what,…

Hailing from a family of viola players are Dana and Mikhail Zemtsov. Ahead of the release of their album Fathers and Daughters, the Zemtsovs spoke with me about being part of a viola dynasty. How did this collective of violists come about? What makes a typical violist? The duo share how the family is united by instrument, as well as painting a pict…

Recent visitors to thestrad.com may have noticed a video that premiered called Racing Horses, featuring a spirited performance from the cello and piano Cheng2 Duo, comprising siblings Bryan Cheng on cello and Silvie Cheng on piano. Racing Horses features on their upcoming album Portrait, which contains works by composers of Asian heritage, as well …

Playing as a principal player in a string section of an orchestra certainly has its challenges – but how do you learn how to lead a section? There’s plenty of tuition on audition preparation and orchestral repertoire for students – but it's unlikely many string players attend a class called ‘Leading 101’ while at college! It’s certainly a job that …

Perhaps somewhat frustrated with the scarcity of double bass repertoire, Valentina Ciardelli is committed to finding and creating new repertoire for double bassists. Valentina is the founder of the How I met Puccini project, transcribing arias for double bass and other stringed instruments. She speaks about showcasing and celebrating the double bas…

Violinist Pavel Berman is in the rather unique and fortuitous position of having the opportunity to play on the 1702 'David Oistrakh' Stradivari violin – not only that, but he has recorded the Shostakovich Violin Sonata recently with pianist Maria Meerovitch, a work that was written for Oistrakh himself! What’s it like, coming face-to-face with the…

Ahead of an upcoming performance with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, violinist Christian Tetzlaff spoke to Davina about performing Bartok’s Violin Concerto no.2. When did he first encounter it? What are his favourite moments? How does he get through the monumental work in one piece? Christian will be performing the Bartok on 30 September with t…

Violinist Rachel Podger is no stranger to the pages of The Strad magazine, having featured in several articles and reviews throughout her prolific career. Ahead of her busy upcoming season, which sees her as artist in focus at London’s Kings Place, artistic director of Brecon Baroque Festival, a recording release of the Goldberg Variations, plus pr…

Cellist Matthew Barley spoke to Davina recently about Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht, or Transfigured Night – a piece which is so epically challenging and takes the players and listeners on an emotional journey. Matthew speaks about bringing other disciplines of theatre, electronics, dance and lighting to present a theatrical version of the work, whi…

You may have seen a video premiere on thestrad.com last week of a film called Absinthe featuring cellist Alexander Hersh. Absinthe is more than a film series – it’s also an album of music featuring works that were written before the European ban of the highly alcoholic drink, the music from which provides the soundtrack to a crazy narrative that se…

The musical world was shaken in October 2022 when news broke out of Geoff Nuttall’s passing. Geoff was the founding first violinist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet, an ensemble that has enchanted audiences worldwide since 1989 and served as ensemble in residence at Stanford University since 1998. The St. Lawrence’s co-founding violist Lesley Rob…

Coming to US audiences in October is Aleksey Igudesman’s show The Music Critic, which, with a cast of musicians and the actor John Malkovich, combines classical music, comedy and theatre to focus on 'the most horrible reviews of the most beautiful music ever written.' Aleksey spoke to online editor Davina recently about the ideas behind the show, w…

Gracing the headlines recently is the Aizuri Quartet, which has announced two new members of the ensemble in advance of its busy 2023/24 performing season. The upcoming year sees the quartet performing a range of repertoire around the US. Here to speak with online editor Davina in this episode is violinist Emma Frucht, who shared her insights and s…

Stephanie Baer is a violist who, in addition to serving as director of string studies and orchestras, plus professor of viola and chamber music at NYU Steinhardt, has enjoyed a multi-faceted musical career within the New York community. Notably, Stephanie held the chair of principal viola in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera for 2…

Happening from 6 to 12 August this year is the Silkroad Global Musician Workshop. Silkroad was founded by Yo-Yo Ma and aims to use arts to inspire cultural exchange and collaboration. Cellist and director of the Global Musician Workshop Mike Block shares how musicians representing different cultures, traditions and disciplines come together for the…

The principles of yoga are so easily transferred to string playing and vice versa – concepts such as thinking about one’s breath, mindfulness, discipline and being kind to oneself. Violinist Melissa White is a trained yogi and co-founder of Intermission, a programme that unites body, mind, breath and music making with yoga and meditation. She spoke…

Can you imagine playing Kreisler’s violin? If you’re Francisco Fullana, you don’t have to imagine. He is lucky enough to get to play the 1735 Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ 'Mary Portman, ex-Kreisler' violin, thanks to Clement and Karen Arrison through the Stradivari Society of Chicago. He joins online editor Davina Shum in this episode to 'nerd out' on fine …

When you hear the word ‘eclectic’, what do you think of? Random, perhaps? Eclectic does not mean random, as illustrated by the guests of this episode from the Dudok Quartet. Violinist Marleen Wester and cellist David Faber speak to online editor Davina Shum about the quartet’s new album What Remains, an eclectic mix of repertoire spanning 1000 year…

Luis Cabrera the principal bass of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. When he’s not doing either of those jobs, he’s tackling some monumental solo repertoire – Bach’s Cello Suite no.1… on double bass! Luis chats with online editor Davina Shum about his long journey preparing …

Most string players will get to a point in their career where their faithful instrument has served them to the best of its ability, and the time has come for the player to think about upgrading to a fine instrument. It can be very exciting, the prospect of finding the best instrument, but also daunting – we don’t have to mention how expensive fine …

Tessa Lark’s long awaited Stradgrass Sessions album is out on 5 May, comprising a melting pot of styles, influences and collaborations in one disc. She spoke online editor Davina Shum recently about how her musical upbringing in Kentucky combining Americana and classical has shaped her, the versatility of her c.1600 Maggini violin, plus why one of …

TwoSet Violin celebrated a significant milestone late in 2022: upon reaching 4 million subscribers on YouTube, the violin comedy duo put on a performance of a lifetime with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, with Brett Yang playing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, and Eddy Chen joining him later for the Bach Violin Concerto for two violins. Not only…

How many people does it take to perform the Mendelssohn Octet? In the case of Malin Broman, one. You might remember her pandemic-era video where she performed all eight parts of the finale – including that fiendish opening in the second cello part. Malin speaks to online editor Davina Shum about her journey into multi-instrumentalism and the versat…

Luthier and bow maker Iris Zhulla features in The Strad March issue Trade Secrets with a step-by-step guide on repairing a bow thumb groove with epoxy and modelling clay. Iris speaks about the importance of repairing, restoring and preserving our bows, given the precarious situation of pernambuco wood at the moment. Rather than writing off bows tha…

The technique of playing double-stopped octaves can strike fear into the hearts of many a cellist – it certainly can be a daunting and overwhelming concept for players. But it doesn’t have to be. Here to give his tips on practising and teaching octaves for cellists, as well as how to avoid ‘mental catastrophising’ is Seth Parker Woods. Seth is a Gr…

Fresh from her Senior Division victory at this year’s Sphinx Competition is violinist Njioma Grevious, who speaks with online editor Davina Shum about competitions and performance. She shares her chosen preparation strategies, what helps her embody the character of the piece she’s playing on stage, as well as her hopes for her future career. Plus, …

How do you feel about scales? Many people would agree that they play a necessary part in our musical education as string players, though most people will have had mixed feelings about implementing them in practice. Violist of the PUBLIQuartet, composer and educator Nick Revel speaks to online editor Davina Shum about the role of scales in his playi…

Patricia Kopatchinskaja speaks to online editor Davina Shum about her recent programme of Janáček, Bartók and Brahms – including how she has to embody the composers’ wishes on stage. Not only has she recorded this programme of violin sonatas with pianist Fazil Say, she has also taken it on tour. How does she keep the pieces fresh and spontaneous on…

As well as being violinist of the Danish String Quartet, Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen is also a member of the folk trio Dreamers’ Circus. In an aim to pass on the traditions of Nordic folk music to the next generation of musicians, the trio has devised a resource called Handed On – a project comprising original folk music in the form of sheet music and …

Alisa Weilerstein is embarking on a multi-year project called Fragments – comprising all 36 movements of Bach’s solo cello suites, interweaved with new commissions from 27 diverse composers. Alisa speaks to online editor Davina Shum about how this project came about, how a combination of theatrical elements come together to provide a unique musical…

Liam Byrne’s website states that he ‘spends most of his time playing either very old or very new music on the viola da gamba’ – often involving electronics. Perhaps you might think of the viola da gamba playing only historical music – Liam shared with online editor Davina Shum his approach of playing a wide range of repertoire with new technology a…

Because of their rarity and exquisite craftmanship, the famed violins of Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ fetch a high price – including the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ which boasts the title of the world’s most expensive violin. Recently, violinist David Garrett fulfilled a lifelong dream of acquiring a del Gesu violin from 1736 – he joins online editor Davina Shum in t…

Violinist Gwendolyn Masin is an intrepid explorer of neglected violin works throughout history. In this episode, she shares with me three short pieces that she believes really should enjoy more time in the spotlight of staple repertoire; by Vítězslava Kaprálová, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Lazare Saminsky. Interested in exploring these works? Her…

Online editor Davina Shum speaks to Heather Noonan, the vice president for advocacy, League of American Orchestras. Heather attended the 19th CITES meeting in Panama City, where on 25 November, a decision was made to keep pernambuco wood under CITES Appendix II, with modified wording. What does that mean for you? Heather explains what the modified …

If you’re a player, you’ve probably learnt from an early age to respect the bridge. Here to demystify the topic slightly for players is Aubrey K Alexander, winner of two gold medals for her viola and cello bridges at the International Violin Bridge Competition in October 2022. Find out how long it typically takes her to make a bridge, as well as th…

Julia Perry (1924-1979) was an American composer, who studied at Tanglewood, Juilliard and in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, where she won the Boulanger Grand Prix for her Viola Sonata. She was the recipient of two Guggenheim Fellowships and also studied in Italy with Luigi Dallapiccola. Despite her prolific achievements, Perry's work has fallen into …

This episode is brought to you in association with For-Tune Strings. Today’s podcast guest is cellist Anastasia Kobekina, who was lucky enough to have the opportunity to help develop For-Tune’s new Opal Gold cello strings, through a series of trials and feedback. Not many string players get the chance to have direct input on their ideal set of stri…