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Violinist Roberts Balanas signs with The Fearless Cooperative
Dover Quartet rejoins MKI Artists
Have you ever seen 300 cellists play in the same room?: Postcard from Qingdao
‘The journey itself, rather than just the goal’: Cristian Măcelaru on the Enescu Competition
Kansas City Symphony announces new string appointments
Julian Lloyd Webber announces successful treatment for prostate cancer
Lloyd Webber shared his cancer diagnosis in April this year
Obituary: violinist and pedagogue Henryk P. Kowalski (1947–2026)
The Polish-born Danish violinist taught numerous musicians who went on to enjoy illustrious careers
David Garrett’s ‘Del Gesù Club’ gives its first ever public concert
This year’s meeting of the exclusive club, open to owners and players of Guarneri ’del Gesù’ instruments, took place on 26 July as part of the Gstaad Menuhin Festival. Eric Wen reports back
Playing Hub
Session Report: violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte on recording ‘Le Violon de Rameau’
Théotime Langlois de Swarte tells Harry White how Le Violon de Rameau, his new album with William Christie, restores the violin to the heart of the composer’s musical world
Have you ever seen 300 cellists play in the same room?: Postcard from Qingdao
Jacob Shaw reports from the Cello Family Festival in Qingdao, China, where he encountered talented players and teachers guided by professor Ming-Qing Yu’s teaching philosophy. A performance by 300 cellists was a particular highlight
‘The journey itself, rather than just the goal’: Cristian Măcelaru on the Enescu Competition
Artistic director Cristian Măcelaru discusses how the George Enescu International Competition is evolving to support young musicians beyond the pursuit of prizes.
Do I belong on the podium? Five types of imposter syndrome in orchestra teachers
Viviana Garcia breaks down the variations of imposter syndrome in orchestra teachers and offers tips to those who may be struggling
Evolving tradition: Patrick Yim on new sound worlds in ‘Bamboo Grove’
Patrick Yim discusses the close collaboration of Chinese and Western traditions for violin and viola that feature on his upcoming album of works by Zhou Long and Chen Yi
Tuned to Perfection: the life and legacy of violinist Alberto Lysy
A new documentary shines a light on the legendary violinist, presented by Ettore Causa
Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Carving a Gofriller-style scroll
Alessandro Peiretti shares a method on making a personal interpretation of the Venetian scroll model
Premium ❘ Feature
Session Report: violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte on recording ‘Le Violon de Rameau’
Théotime Langlois de Swarte tells Harry White how Le Violon de Rameau, his new album with William Christie, restores the violin to the heart of the composer’s musical world
Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Carving a Gofriller-style scroll
Alessandro Peiretti shares a method on making a personal interpretation of the Venetian scroll model
Premium ❘ Focus
‘Great principals serve their section for the good of the music’ - Scott Pingel’s life lessons
The US principal bassist on his approach to practice and what makes an effective leader
Premium ❘ Focus
Opinion: Theatre improv games in teacher training
Actors’ improvisation games should also be used for training string teachers to help strengthen their in-the-moment communication skills, says violinist and teacher Carmen Lasceski-Custers
Competitions
16-year-old violinist wins 2026 Cooper International Competition
Chinese violinist Mingzhe Ye won first prize of $20,000, plus loan of a fine violin and future performance opportunities
Cello winner announced for the 2026 World’s Biggest Stage Competition
Greek cellist Maria Elli Petridou wins $5,000 and further performance engagements
Finalists announced for 2026 Barbash J.S. Bach Competition
Five string players proceed to the final round, which will take place in New York in October
Premium ❘ News
Competitions, Awards and Appointments: September 2026
The latest competition results, appointments and forthcoming contests
Premium ❘ News
Premiere of the month: Eric Nathan’s new violin concerto
A violin concerto that reaches new heights
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
Masterclass: Mozart Violin Sonata no.32 in B flat major, first movement
In a movement that evokes all the delightful quirks of a Mozart opera, it’s important to maintain a dialogue between violin and piano, says violinist Arnaud Sussmann
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
Masterclass: Mozart Violin Sonata no.32 in B flat major, first movement
In a movement that evokes all the delightful quirks of a Mozart opera, it’s important to maintain a dialogue between violin and piano, says violinist Arnaud Sussmann
Masterclass: Chausson Poème for Violin and Orchestra op.25
Understanding the harmonic framework is key to making sense of Chausson’s fluid, freely structured Poème, says violinist Maria Włoszczowska
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
16-year-old violinist wins 2026 Cooper International Competition
Chinese violinist Mingzhe Ye won first prize of $20,000, plus loan of a fine violin and future performance opportunities
Cello winner announced for the 2026 World’s Biggest Stage Competition
Greek cellist Maria Elli Petridou wins $5,000 and further performance engagements
Finalists announced for 2026 Barbash J.S. Bach Competition
Five string players proceed to the final round, which will take place in New York in October
Tuned to Perfection: the life and legacy of violinist Alberto Lysy
A new documentary shines a light on the legendary violinist, presented by Ettore Causa
Tuned to Perfection: the life and legacy of violinist Alberto Lysy
Video premiere: Bella Hristova performs David Serkin Ludwig’s Violin Concerto no.2 ‘Paganiniana’
‘Dance, when you’re perfectly free’: NYO performs Anna Clyne’s DANCE
‘Literally the hardest thing I’ve ever had to learn to do’: Pedro Pascal to play cellist in upcoming film
Combining virtuosity with opera: violinist Hannah Cho honours Vienna with Carmen Fantasie Brillante
Yo‑Yo Ma joins Kakuma refugee collective Exile Key for ‘Yelele Mama’
Teaser trailer drops for Singaporean animated film ‘The Violinist’
From prison to performance: new film spotlights violinist Christian Howes’s artistic transformation
A violinist and three cellists walk into a studio: Emerald Strings rethinks ‘Bolero’
After hours at Guildhall Art Gallery: Vilde Frang and Lawrence Power perform ‘Capricci’
- Previous
- Next
Trade Secrets: Carving a Gofriller-style scroll
Alessandro Peiretti shares a method on making a personal interpretation of the Venetian scroll model
In Focus: A c.1850 violin by Lorenzo Arcangioli
Peter Körner examines the mid-19th century instrument
Analysis September 2026: Ten years on from the Brexit vote, how have instrument workshops been affected?
A decade after the UK’s split from the European Union, the impact is still being felt by both musicians and makers. Peter Somerford looks at how are regular instrument workshops dealing with the changes?
Trade Secrets: Set-up guidelines for the five-string violin
Jennifer Halenar shares some tips that take into account the differences in bridges, strings, dimensions and fingerboards
My Space: Erli Gurra’s Tirana workshop
Take a look at the maker’s Albanian shop
Matthew Hardie: ‘The Scottish Stradivari’
Matthew Hardie, who died 200 years ago this year, was possibly Scotland’s most influential violin maker. To mark the anniversary, David Rattray tells the story of his life and examines a selection of his violas
Trade Secrets: Carving a Gofriller-style scroll
Alessandro Peiretti shares a method on making a personal interpretation of the Venetian scroll model
In Focus: A c.1850 violin by Lorenzo Arcangioli
Peter Körner examines the mid-19th century instrument
Analysis September 2026: Ten years on from the Brexit vote, how have instrument workshops been affected?
A decade after the UK’s split from the European Union, the impact is still being felt by both musicians and makers. Peter Somerford looks at how are regular instrument workshops dealing with the changes?
Trade Secrets: Set-up guidelines for the five-string violin
Jennifer Halenar shares some tips that take into account the differences in bridges, strings, dimensions and fingerboards
My Space: Erli Gurra’s Tirana workshop
Take a look at the maker’s Albanian shop
Matthew Hardie: ‘The Scottish Stradivari’
Matthew Hardie, who died 200 years ago this year, was possibly Scotland’s most influential violin maker. To mark the anniversary, David Rattray tells the story of his life and examines a selection of his violas
Concert review: Carter Brey (cello) New York Philharmonic/Elim Chan
Leah Hollingsworth visits New York’s David Geffen Hall on 27 May 2026 for the performance of Noriko Koide, Saint-Saëns and Prokofiev
Concert review: Pieter Wispelwey (cello) Orchestra Of St Luke’s/Nicholas Ellis
Leah Hollingsworth braves the warm weather of 10 June 2026 to hear the performance of Bach and Haydn at Zankel Hall, in New York’s Carnegie Hall
Concert review: Laura van der Heijden (cello) London Symphony Orchestra/Oliver Zeffman
Hattie Butterworth hears the performance of Barber, Ravel and Henriëtte Bosmans at London’s Barbican Hall on 14 June 2026
The Strad Recommends: Elena Urioste: Thème Varié
An adventurous partnership again strikes gold
The Strad Recommends: Julian Schwarz: Foote
A family endeavour of a forgotten American proves winning
The Strad Recommends: Rautio Piano Trio: Beethoven
A period-instrument survey continues most impressively
Book review: Notes to a Violinist
Celia Cobb reads the teachings of American violinist and pedagogue Jan Mark Sloman, who died in 2022
Book review: Violin Making the Newark Way
Benjamin Hebbert reads the notes taken by Clare Hutter (née Nicolls) when she was a student at the Newark School of Violin Making in the 1980s
Book review: Beauty at the Edge of Catastrophe: Cultivating mindful presence in musical performance
Anne Inglis reviews Ruth Phillips’s book on the usefulness and application of mindfulness to musicians
Debate
Opinion: Period instruments aren’t just specialist tools
Benjamin Shute questions our assumptions about contemporary instrument set‑up and the idea that period instruments are merely specialist equipment
Opinion: Finding creativity in scales
Love them or hate them, scales are at the heart of string training. Violinist and teacher Mark Knight examines why, when approached correctly, they are the gateway to a world of expressive freedom
Concert review: Carter Brey (cello) New York Philharmonic/Elim Chan
Leah Hollingsworth visits New York’s David Geffen Hall on 27 May 2026 for the performance of Noriko Koide, Saint-Saëns and Prokofiev
Concert review: Pieter Wispelwey (cello) Orchestra Of St Luke’s/Nicholas Ellis
Leah Hollingsworth braves the warm weather of 10 June 2026 to hear the performance of Bach and Haydn at Zankel Hall, in New York’s Carnegie Hall
Concert review: Laura van der Heijden (cello) London Symphony Orchestra/Oliver Zeffman
Hattie Butterworth hears the performance of Barber, Ravel and Henriëtte Bosmans at London’s Barbican Hall on 14 June 2026
Book review: Notes to a Violinist
Celia Cobb reads the teachings of American violinist and pedagogue Jan Mark Sloman, who died in 2022
Book review: Violin Making the Newark Way
Benjamin Hebbert reads the notes taken by Clare Hutter (née Nicolls) when she was a student at the Newark School of Violin Making in the 1980s
Book review: Beauty at the Edge of Catastrophe: Cultivating mindful presence in musical performance
Anne Inglis reviews Ruth Phillips’s book on the usefulness and application of mindfulness to musicians
The Strad Recommends: Elena Urioste: Thème Varié
An adventurous partnership again strikes gold
The Strad Recommends: Julian Schwarz: Foote
A family endeavour of a forgotten American proves winning
The Strad Recommends: Rautio Piano Trio: Beethoven
A period-instrument survey continues most impressively
Artists
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
Brett Dean: the music from within
Australian composer and violist Brett Dean has long drawn on his experience from playing inside the orchestra to shape his own music. He tells Jessica Duchen about how his writing and playing continue to inform each other
Jordi Savall: connections beyond words
The Catalan gambist and conductor Jordi Savall speaks with Michael White about his six decades of music making, the ideals that have guided his work and the future of the early music world he helped to shape
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