- News
- For Subscribers
- Student Hub
- Playing Hub
- Directory
- Lutherie
- Magazine
- Magazine archive
- Whether you're a player, maker, teacher or enthusiast, you'll find ideas and inspiration from leading artists, teachers and luthiers in our archive which features every issue published since January 2010 - available exclusively to subscribers. View the archive.
- Jobs
- Shop
- Podcast
- Contact us
- Subscribe
- School Subscription
- Competitions
- Reviews
- Debate
- Artists
- Accessories
Seeing Double: the Chooi brothers on their debut album of works for two violins
Just a little invention: Rachel Podger and Jane Rogers perform Bach
Pierre Fournier Award winner Annie Jacobs-Perkins presents a video from her new album
New concertmaster at the Orchestre national du Capitole
ABRSM fined £150,000 over data retention failures
Principal violist killed in orchestra bus crash
US violist Penelope Knuth was killed and 13 other musicians injured when the Chilean Chamber Orchestra’s bus plunged over an embankment
Prizewinners announced at 2026 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis
US violinist Karisa Chiu has taken Gold at the 12th International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, following the final concerto performances at Hilbert Circle Theatre.
Himari: the young violin sensation on Brahms, Heifetz and her debut album
The chart-topping Japanese violinist discusses her musical influences, studying with Ida Kavafian, and what it’s like performing on a Stradivari and a Guarneri ‘del Gesù’
Playing Hub
Just a little invention: Rachel Podger and Jane Rogers perform Bach
The pair performs Bach’s 15 Inventions: No. 8 in F Major, BWV 779, featured on a new album of duos
Pierre Fournier Award winner Annie Jacobs-Perkins presents a video from her new album
Jacob-Perkins performs Sabina for solo cello, composed by Andrew Norman
Finding the groove: Steve Reich at 90
How do string players make Steve Reich’s meticulously crafted music come alive? To celebrate the US composer’s 90th birthday, leading performers of his works share their insights with Pwyll ap Siôn
Opinion: the third ear
The most important musical ear a string player can develop might be the one that they can never physically possess themselves, says violinist, violist and teacher Alex Laing
Violinist Yevgeny Kutik performs Ysaÿe Sonata for Solo Violin no.3
Kutik shares a work that has accompanied him throughout his musical journey
‘You need to be so cool when playing Steve Reich’s music!’: a guide to performing ‘Violin Phase’
Steve Reich’s Violin Phase challenges performers to navigate technology alongside complex rhythmic and interpretative demand. Pwyll ap Siôn presents practical, technical and musical advice, plus insights from violinists who have tackled Reich’s unique work
Premium ❘ Feature
Finding the groove: Steve Reich at 90
How do string players make Steve Reich’s meticulously crafted music come alive? To celebrate the US composer’s 90th birthday, leading performers of his works share their insights with Pwyll ap Siôn
Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Reinforcing a violin bridge with carbon rods
A method to improve the bridge’s durability and long-term reliability
Premium ❘ Feature
Finding the groove: Steve Reich at 90
How do string players make Steve Reich’s meticulously crafted music come alive? To celebrate the US composer’s 90th birthday, leading performers of his works share their insights with Pwyll ap Siôn
Premium ❘ Focus
Sentimental Work: Pablo Ferrández on Dvořák’s Cello Concerto
Learning Dvořák’s Cello Concerto was a seminal part of the Spanish cellist’s musical development – and his interpretation is still evolving now
Premium ❘ Focus
‘We should all treasure our differences’ - Simone Lamsma’s life lessons
The Dutch violinist on building independence and balancing a busy life and career
Competitions
Results announced for the 2026 Barbash J.S. Bach Competition
Violinist Leah Amory won the Grand Prize of $10,000, with future performance engagements
Cellist wins 2026 John Curro National Youth Concerto Competition
Australian cellist Gabriel Tian Liu receives the AUD 3,000 first prize
Semi-finalists announced for Young Concert Artists 2026 auditions
19 string players and ensembles feature among the 38 semi-finalist candidates
Premium ❘ News
Premiere of the Month: Jocelyn Campbell’s new electronic violin work
An electronic work using fragments of violin playing
Premium ❘ News
Competitions, Awards and Appointments: November 2026
The latest competition results, appointments and forthcoming contests
Masterclass: Schumann Fairy-tale Pictures op.113, third and fourth movements
Patrick Yim explores two movements of juxtaposing characters that test a viola player’s versatility and technical skill
Masterclass: Haydn Piano Trio in C major, Hob.XV:27, first movement
Violinist Elene Meipariani of Trio E.T.A. highlights the importance of finding a unified sound that brings life to this sprightly movement
Masterclass: Schumann Fairy-tale Pictures op.113, third and fourth movements
Patrick Yim explores two movements of juxtaposing characters that test a viola player’s versatility and technical skill
Masterclass: Haydn Piano Trio in C major, Hob.XV:27, first movement
Violinist Elene Meipariani of Trio E.T.A. highlights the importance of finding a unified sound that brings life to this sprightly movement
Masterclass: Grieg Violin Sonata no.3 in C minor, op.45, first movement
Esther Yoo guides violinists through a movement of turbulence and tenderness in a work that requires complete technical command
The Strad Podcast: How to tailor the Suzuki Method to different students with violinist Meghan Faw
The violinist shares her personal experiences with the method as both a student and a teacher
The Strad Podcast: How to hold a masterclass with violinist Paul Huang
The violinist speaks about his teaching approaches in a unique learning experience, in the third part of our four-part education-themed podcast series
The Strad Podcast: How to teach collaborative skills with violinist Annie Fullard of the Cavani Quartet
‘We should live in a chamber music world’ - the violinist speaks about the importance of collaboration inside and outside of the practice room, in the second episode of our four-part education-themed podcast series
The Strad Podcast: How to practise effectively with violinist Ray Chen
The first in our new four-part education themed podcast series features our September 2024 cover star
The Strad Podcast: How to tailor the Suzuki Method to different students with violinist Meghan Faw
The violinist shares her personal experiences with the method as both a student and a teacher
The Strad Podcast: How to hold a masterclass with violinist Paul Huang
The violinist speaks about his teaching approaches in a unique learning experience, in the third part of our four-part education-themed podcast series
The Strad Podcast: How to teach collaborative skills with violinist Annie Fullard of the Cavani Quartet
‘We should live in a chamber music world’ - the violinist speaks about the importance of collaboration inside and outside of the practice room, in the second episode of our four-part education-themed podcast series
Competitions
Results announced for the 2026 Barbash J.S. Bach Competition
Violinist Leah Amory won the Grand Prize of $10,000, with future performance engagements
Cellist wins 2026 John Curro National Youth Concerto Competition
Australian cellist Gabriel Tian Liu receives the AUD 3,000 first prize
Semi-finalists announced for Young Concert Artists 2026 auditions
19 string players and ensembles feature among the 38 semi-finalist candidates
Just a little invention: Rachel Podger and Jane Rogers perform Bach
The pair performs Bach’s 15 Inventions: No. 8 in F Major, BWV 779, featured on a new album of duos
Just a little invention: Rachel Podger and Jane Rogers perform Bach
Pierre Fournier Award winner Annie Jacobs-Perkins presents a video from her new album
Violinist Yevgeny Kutik performs Ysaÿe Sonata for Solo Violin no.3
Pinchas Zukerman’s formative years explored in PBS documentary
Cellist Gabriel Cabezas performs Alyssa Weinberg’s ‘Pieces of Light’
‘The Final Bow’: documentary short exploring the fate of pernambuco
New video: ensemble132 performs Clara Schumann
‘Extraordinary depth and humanity’: 17-year-old cellist Daniel Dorn performs solo Bach
Watch: Yo-Yo Ma performs Bach during 9/11 ceremony in New York
12 Ensemble performs Arvo Pärt’s ‘Fratres’
- Previous
- Next
Trade Secrets: Reinforcing a violin bridge with carbon rods
A method to improve the bridge’s durability and long-term reliability
‘A well-oiled engine that’s ready to go’: what cello does Sterling Elliott play?
In an excerpt from our November 2026 cover article, Sterling Elliott discusses his treasured instrument, a 1741 Gennaro Gagliano cello named ‘Ginger’
The Strad Calendar 2027: 1727 ‘Iwasaki’ Stradivari cello
Named after Japanese cellist Ko Iwasaki, the instrument has recently been loaned to Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk
The Strad Calendar 2027: c.1720 ‘Karl Klingler’ Stradivari violin
With a fascinating two-piece back, this violin contains wood from the same tree as that used for the celebrated ‘Macdonald’ Stradivari viola
Making Matters: The curious case of the underslide
Mika Seifert uncovers evidence that the so-called ‘Hill slide’ might not have been created at the British-based violin firm at all, but may in fact have been an invention of W.A. Pfretzschner
Trade Secrets: Making a custom cutter for a second-hole bushing
Adam Goltry introduces a specialised tool for bow makers to use when carrying out a tricky repair job
Trade Secrets: Reinforcing a violin bridge with carbon rods
A method to improve the bridge’s durability and long-term reliability
‘A well-oiled engine that’s ready to go’: what cello does Sterling Elliott play?
In an excerpt from our November 2026 cover article, Sterling Elliott discusses his treasured instrument, a 1741 Gennaro Gagliano cello named ‘Ginger’
The Strad Calendar 2027: 1727 ‘Iwasaki’ Stradivari cello
Named after Japanese cellist Ko Iwasaki, the instrument has recently been loaned to Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk
The Strad Calendar 2027: c.1720 ‘Karl Klingler’ Stradivari violin
With a fascinating two-piece back, this violin contains wood from the same tree as that used for the celebrated ‘Macdonald’ Stradivari viola
Making Matters: The curious case of the underslide
Mika Seifert uncovers evidence that the so-called ‘Hill slide’ might not have been created at the British-based violin firm at all, but may in fact have been an invention of W.A. Pfretzschner
Trade Secrets: Making a custom cutter for a second-hole bushing
Adam Goltry introduces a specialised tool for bow makers to use when carrying out a tricky repair job
Festival round-up: Rencontres Musicales d’Évian
Charlotte Gardner reports on two days (1–2 July) of string-related highlights at the festival, which took place at Évian-les-Bains, France, from 24 June to 5 July
Concert review: Adrian Brendel (cello) Dénes Várjon (piano)
Janet Banks visits London’s Wigmore Hall on 12 July 2026 for the recital of Beethoven, Brahms, Kurtág and Dohnányi
Festival round-up: 2026 Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe
String players loomed large at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe (7–31 August), as David Kettle discovered
The Strad Recommends: Trio Azura: Storytellers
An impressively mature first album from this US-based trio
The Strad Recommends: Thomas Bowes: Elgar
A much-loved concerto is winningly brought to life
The Strad Recommends: Opus13: Grieg, Mendelssohn
A noteworthy recording debut from a group already making waves
Book review: Bows and Arrows: The Autobiography
Tully Potter reads the autobiography of Julian Lloyd Webber, one of the UK’s best-known cellists and pedagogues
Book review: The Golden Age of the Flemish Violins
Stefan Hersh reads Jan Strick’s long-awaited survey of instrument makers from Flanders, including contributions by Anne-Emmanuelle Ceulemans and Guy Rooryck
Book review: Monograph of the Antonio Stradivari Violin c.1667 ‘Back’, ‘Josefowitz’
Philip Brown reads the exhaustive study, published by Jost Thöne Verlag, bringing together the scholarship of violin experts with high-resolution photos, CT scans and analysis under different kinds of light
Debate
Opinion: the third ear
The most important musical ear a string player can develop might be the one that they can never physically possess themselves, says violinist, violist and teacher Alex Laing
Opinion: Playing with accompanists early on
Piano accompaniment is too often treated as an afterthought in teaching. Violinist Sendi Vartanovi argues that string students learn more effectively when collaboration begins from day one
Debate
Opinion: the third ear
The most important musical ear a string player can develop might be the one that they can never physically possess themselves, says violinist, violist and teacher Alex Laing
Opinion: Playing with accompanists early on
Piano accompaniment is too often treated as an afterthought in teaching. Violinist Sendi Vartanovi argues that string students learn more effectively when collaboration begins from day one
Festival round-up: Rencontres Musicales d’Évian
Charlotte Gardner reports on two days (1–2 July) of string-related highlights at the festival, which took place at Évian-les-Bains, France, from 24 June to 5 July
Concert review: Adrian Brendel (cello) Dénes Várjon (piano)
Janet Banks visits London’s Wigmore Hall on 12 July 2026 for the recital of Beethoven, Brahms, Kurtág and Dohnányi
Festival round-up: 2026 Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe
String players loomed large at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe (7–31 August), as David Kettle discovered
Book review: Bows and Arrows: The Autobiography
Tully Potter reads the autobiography of Julian Lloyd Webber, one of the UK’s best-known cellists and pedagogues
Book review: The Golden Age of the Flemish Violins
Stefan Hersh reads Jan Strick’s long-awaited survey of instrument makers from Flanders, including contributions by Anne-Emmanuelle Ceulemans and Guy Rooryck
Book review: Monograph of the Antonio Stradivari Violin c.1667 ‘Back’, ‘Josefowitz’
Philip Brown reads the exhaustive study, published by Jost Thöne Verlag, bringing together the scholarship of violin experts with high-resolution photos, CT scans and analysis under different kinds of light
The Strad Recommends: Trio Azura: Storytellers
An impressively mature first album from this US-based trio
The Strad Recommends: Thomas Bowes: Elgar
A much-loved concerto is winningly brought to life
The Strad Recommends: Opus13: Grieg, Mendelssohn
A noteworthy recording debut from a group already making waves
Artists
Sterling Elliott: coming full circle
The American cellist speaks with Lauren Wesley-Smith about his journey as a musician, the formative influence of the Sphinx Organization and finding his own voice in the digital age
‘Love what you do’: Antje Weithaas
Violinist Antje Weithaas talks to Pauline Harding about her varied career in teaching, performance and, most recently, conducting, which is carrying her in new and exciting directions as she approaches her 60th birthday
Juilliard Quartet at 80: lines of inquiry
As the Juilliard Quartet celebrates its 80th anniversary, its members speak to Thomas May about teaching, rehearsal‑room disagreement, new commissions and the essential questions that keep the ensemble’s tradition alive
Education Resources
-
-
The Strad Directory is the essential resource for the string music world, with over 2,300 listings providing information on string businesses across North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Whether you are a string player searching for a new instrument or a business owner looking to reach your target audience, the Strad Directory remains the most comprehensive and user-friendly resource for the string music world.
Available from The Strad Shop
-
Whether you're a player, maker, teacher or an enthusiast, the Strad Shop is the number one source for books, CDs and back issues of the magazine. Products for sale include an exclusive range of instrument making posters, calendars and information products published by and directly for sale from The Strad.
- THE STRAD SHOP
Keep informed
