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Boston Symphony Orchestra appoints two new fellows
‘A living, breathing organism’: Paul Wiancko on leading Spoleto’s chamber music series
Dane Lam bridges cultures through sound at the Hawai’i Symphony
’Does anybody have an A string?’ – cello string gets crowd-sourced at the Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition semi-finals
Obituary: Canadian cellist and composer Cris Derksen (1981–2026)
’Does anybody have an A string?’ – cello string gets crowd-sourced at the Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition semi-finals
When cellist Alexander Wollheim’s brand-new A string broke on stage, an appeal for help was made to the audience
Obituary: British violinist Blaize Henry (1992–2026)
The violinist and violist was a long-time member of the Chineke! Orchestra
Finalists announced for 2026 Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition
Twelve candidates will participate in the competition’s final round from 25 to 30 May
Playing Hub
How human should music education be?
The student–teacher relationship in classical music is unlike almost any other. While conservatoires must continue building healthier educational cultures, professor of cello at the Royal Northern College of Music Jacob Shaw reflects on why human connection remains essential to meaningful musical education
‘A living, breathing organism’: Paul Wiancko on leading Spoleto’s chamber music series
Ahead of his third season at Spoleto Festival USA, the American cellist discusses musical risk-taking, participatory audiences and why chamber music must remain a living art form
Dane Lam bridges cultures through sound at the Hawai’i Symphony
The conductor speaks to James Bash about blending Western orchestral repertoire with traditional Asian instruments, drawing on his cross-continental career to create bold, culturally resonant programmes in Honolulu
Preparing to perform the Elgar Cello Concerto on the viola: Rosalind Ventris
Violists have long embraced transcription – but why has Elgar’s Cello Concerto remained on the margins? Rosalind Ventris examines Lionel Tertis’s arrangement and its relevance today
Sustaining a multifaceted and versatile career in classical music: Alexander Sitkovetsky
As traditional career paths in classical music evolve, violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky urges young musicians to embrace creativity and chart their own course as they embark on their own unique paths
Why I keep returning to strings: composer Alex Mills
Composer Alex Mills explores the emotional immediacy of string writing in the works collected on his debut album Look How Brightly
Premium ❘ Feature
Chamber music in small spaces: music without boundaries
Chamber music has its roots in proximity and shared listening. As the genre increasingly migrates to large halls, Irina Rostomashvili explores what happens to musical intimacy – and speaks to fellow musicians about how connection can be preserved
Premium ❘ Feature
Christian Tetzlaff: ‘Following the score is freedom’
German violinist Christian Tetzlaff has built a career defined by artistic independence. As he celebrates his 60th birthday, he speaks to Richard Bratby about the values that have shaped his musical life
Premium ❘ Feature
Chamber music in small spaces: music without boundaries
Chamber music has its roots in proximity and shared listening. As the genre increasingly migrates to large halls, Irina Rostomashvili explores what happens to musical intimacy – and speaks to fellow musicians about how connection can be preserved
Premium ❘ Focus
Sentimental Work: Bonnie Hampton on Beethoven’s ‘Triple’ Concerto
The US cellist, who performed with the Francesco Trio for almost 40 years, recalls the exhilaration and challenge of playing Beethoven’s joyous ‘Triple’ Concerto
Premium ❘ Focus
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
Competitions
Winners announced for 2026 Cavatina Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition
Trio Rossetti from the Royal College of Music wins £1,500 and a paid performance engagement
Finalists announced for 2026 Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition
Twelve candidates will participate in the competition’s final round from 25 to 30 May
Results announced for the 2026 Henri Marteau International Violin Competition
Violinist Maya Alexandra Kasprzak wins the €10,000 first prize
Premium ❘ News
Competitions, Awards and Appointments: June 2026
The latest competition results, appointments and forthcoming contests
Premium ❘ News
Premiere of the Month: Freya Waley-Cohen’s new work for her sister, Tamsin Waley-Cohen
Siblings collaborate in a lullaby-inspired chamber work
Masterclass: Schubert Piano Trio no.2 in E flat major, first movement
David and Edgar Moreau dive into Schubert’s sound world, exploring colour, balance and the expressive detail that shapes their interpretation of this late work
Masterclass: Bruch Violin Concerto no.1, second movement
Bella Hristova outlines the importance of pacing oneself and creating a hierarchy of intensity in this popular slow movement
Masterclass: Schubert Piano Trio no.2 in E flat major, first movement
David and Edgar Moreau dive into Schubert’s sound world, exploring colour, balance and the expressive detail that shapes their interpretation of this late work
Masterclass: Bruch Violin Concerto no.1, second movement
Bella Hristova outlines the importance of pacing oneself and creating a hierarchy of intensity in this popular slow movement
Masterclass: Beethoven String Quartet no.11 op.95 ‘Serioso’, first movement
This whirlwind movement represents a turbulent time in the composer’s life, evident in the work’s relentless momentum and extreme characters, says Ariel Quartet cellist Amit Even-Tov
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
Winners announced for 2026 Cavatina Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition
Trio Rossetti from the Royal College of Music wins £1,500 and a paid performance engagement
Finalists announced for 2026 Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition
Twelve candidates will participate in the competition’s final round from 25 to 30 May
Results announced for the 2026 Henri Marteau International Violin Competition
Violinist Maya Alexandra Kasprzak wins the €10,000 first prize
After hours at Guildhall Art Gallery: Vilde Frang and Lawrence Power perform ‘Capricci’
The work will feature in the upcoming multimedia concert event at the Barbican, Darkness Visible, curated by Power’s production company, Âme
After hours at Guildhall Art Gallery: Vilde Frang and Lawrence Power perform ‘Capricci’
Merging cello and voice: Nicolas Altstaedt and Anna-Lena Elbert perform ‘Ophelia’s Song’ by Shostakovich
Watch: a video performance from Timothy Ridout’s new album, Alto Appassionato
Woven from Light: a listening guide to a world premiere work for violin and cello
Happy birthday Florence Price! Mount Vernon Virtuosi CelloGang performs String Quartet in G major
Guitar textures on the violin: Tomás Cotik performs Albéniz’s ‘Asturias’
‘Prokofiev in a mosh pit’ – ORBI’s arrangement of Muse’s Unsustainable
‘This piece has everything a violinist can ask for’: Frank Peter Zimmermann on the Elgar Violin Concerto
Video premiere: Édith Piaf’s ‘Hymne à l’amour’ for eight cellos performed by the SCS Cello Ensemble
Cellist John-Henry Crawford performs Ravel’s ‘Pavane pour une infante défunte’
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Truls Mørk loaned ‘Iwasaki’ Stradivari cello
The Norwegian cellist will give his first performance on the 1727 instrument in Norway on 21 May
Michael Rabin’s violins and bows
The great violinist Michael Rabin would have been 90 years old this May. Here, Jonathan Woolf details his instruments and bows
Making Matters: A history of the ‘Il Cremonese’ Stradivari violin’s case
For more than half a century, one of the finest violin cases ever made has lain undisturbed in Cremona. Dimitri Musafia examines the history of the case built to house the 1715 ‘Il Cremonese’ Stradivari
Resurrection symphony: an 18th-century composite cello
The careful restoration of a composite cello identified merely as ‘possibly Italian’ proved a journey of discovery for Sally Gosling and the family team at Chapel Violins, UK
Sgarabotto and Ornati: lives in fragments
When Giuseppe Ornati and Pietro Sgarabotto donated the contents of their workshops to the Cremona School of Violin Making, they ensured an enduring legacy. Luca Baratto and Matteo Giovanetti tell the story and examine some of the treasures
Trade Secrets: Camouflaging a patch using a veneer
An innovative and intricate method for a taxing problem in restoration
Truls Mørk loaned ‘Iwasaki’ Stradivari cello
The Norwegian cellist will give his first performance on the 1727 instrument in Norway on 21 May
Michael Rabin’s violins and bows
The great violinist Michael Rabin would have been 90 years old this May. Here, Jonathan Woolf details his instruments and bows
Making Matters: A history of the ‘Il Cremonese’ Stradivari violin’s case
For more than half a century, one of the finest violin cases ever made has lain undisturbed in Cremona. Dimitri Musafia examines the history of the case built to house the 1715 ‘Il Cremonese’ Stradivari
Resurrection symphony: an 18th-century composite cello
The careful restoration of a composite cello identified merely as ‘possibly Italian’ proved a journey of discovery for Sally Gosling and the family team at Chapel Violins, UK
Sgarabotto and Ornati: lives in fragments
When Giuseppe Ornati and Pietro Sgarabotto donated the contents of their workshops to the Cremona School of Violin Making, they ensured an enduring legacy. Luca Baratto and Matteo Giovanetti tell the story and examine some of the treasures
Trade Secrets: Camouflaging a patch using a veneer
An innovative and intricate method for a taxing problem in restoration
Concert review: Owls
Bruce Hodges hears the quartet’s performance of at Philadelphia’s American Philosophical Society on 11 March 2026
Concert review: Rosalind Ventris (viola)
Hattie Butterworth visits London’s Wigmore Hall on 8 March 2026 for the performance of Lillian Fuchs, Thea Musgrave, Sally Beamish, Elizabeth Maconchy, Amanda Feery and Imogen Holst
Concert review: Elias Quartet
Hattie Butterworth hears an all-Beethoven recital at London’s Wigmore Hall on 10 March 2026
Steven Isserlis: 1851
A master cellist offers an unusual concept album
Tabea Zimmermann, Jean-Guihen Queyras: Brahms, Joachim, C. Schumann, R. Schumann
Plenty of mellow beauty in a thoughtful programme
Gaspard Trio: Haydn
Hugely characterful performances blow the dust off a Classical master
Book review: The Bromberg Collection of American Violins
Andrew Dipper reads through a comprehensive survey of more than 250 US instrument makers from the past 200 years
Book review: The Rolling Year: Listening to the Seasons with Vivaldi
Anne Inglis reads through Hannah French’s account of the composer’s ever-popular Four Seasons, which covers everything from birdsong to Cremonese violin making
Book review: Harmonising Cultural Leadership in Professional Orchestras
Arts consultant Mark Pemberton reads Samuel Cairnduff’s new publication on leadership in orchestral ensembles
Debate
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
Opinion: Why students should rehearse with musicians other than their teachers
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell highlights how valuable and insightful it can be for string students to rehearse with a musician outside of their teacher – especially a pianist
Debate
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
Opinion: Why students should rehearse with musicians other than their teachers
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell highlights how valuable and insightful it can be for string students to rehearse with a musician outside of their teacher – especially a pianist
Accessories
Products June 2026: Larsen Strings Sovereign cello strings
A new fast-speaking cello set from Larsen Strings
Products June 2026: Wittner 130th anniversary pyramid metronome
Wittner releases a new, vintage-style, metronome to mark the milestone
Products June 2026: Negri Cases Globetrotter violin case
The new case suspends the instruments for safety
Concert review: Owls
Bruce Hodges hears the quartet’s performance of at Philadelphia’s American Philosophical Society on 11 March 2026
Concert review: Rosalind Ventris (viola)
Hattie Butterworth visits London’s Wigmore Hall on 8 March 2026 for the performance of Lillian Fuchs, Thea Musgrave, Sally Beamish, Elizabeth Maconchy, Amanda Feery and Imogen Holst
Concert review: Elias Quartet
Hattie Butterworth hears an all-Beethoven recital at London’s Wigmore Hall on 10 March 2026
Book review: The Bromberg Collection of American Violins
Andrew Dipper reads through a comprehensive survey of more than 250 US instrument makers from the past 200 years
Book review: The Rolling Year: Listening to the Seasons with Vivaldi
Anne Inglis reads through Hannah French’s account of the composer’s ever-popular Four Seasons, which covers everything from birdsong to Cremonese violin making
Book review: Harmonising Cultural Leadership in Professional Orchestras
Arts consultant Mark Pemberton reads Samuel Cairnduff’s new publication on leadership in orchestral ensembles
Steven Isserlis: 1851
A master cellist offers an unusual concept album
Tabea Zimmermann, Jean-Guihen Queyras: Brahms, Joachim, C. Schumann, R. Schumann
Plenty of mellow beauty in a thoughtful programme
Gaspard Trio: Haydn
Hugely characterful performances blow the dust off a Classical master
Artists
Christian Tetzlaff: ‘Following the score is freedom’
German violinist Christian Tetzlaff has built a career defined by artistic independence. As he celebrates his 60th birthday, he speaks to Richard Bratby about the values that have shaped his musical life
Yehudi Menuhin 110th anniversary: music with friends
To mark the 110th anniversary of Yehudi Menuhin’s birth on 22 April 1916, Tully Potter presents an overview of the great violinist’s numerous chamber music partnerships and their recordings
‘Never just the notes’: the musical and teaching legacy of Igor Ozim
The violinist and pedagogue Igor Ozim died on 23 March 2024. Two years on, Dijana Ihas writes about his legacy to commemorate a teacher whose seven‑decade career shaped generations of musicians through his analytical clarity, uncompromising discipline and deep commitment to musical expression
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