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Making her mark: violinist María Dueñas
Although she’s only 21, the Spanish violinist María Dueñas is already a rapidly rising star in the musical world. Tom Stewart speaks to the young virtuoso about how she has created her own unique and distinctive voice on the instrument
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Creation and evolution: Manchester Collective
Manchester Collective is an ensemble that doesn’t shy away from either transporting its listeners to unexpected places, or embracing change within its own identity. Members including co‑founder and violinist Rakhi Singh talk to David Kettle about the group’s unique philosophy
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A musical smorgasbord: violinist Fabio Biondi on recording Roman’s ‘Assaggi’
Italian violinist Fabio Biondi speaks to Robin Stowell about recording Swedish Baroque composer Johan Helmich Roman’s assaggi – solo musical morsels to whet the appetite
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Geminiani’s scales: a portal to the past
Geminiani’s scale exercises in his seminal 1751 treatise The Art of Playing on the Violin may look puzzlingly random to modern eyes, but violinist Benjamin Shute argues that they can reveal useful insights into the thinking behind performance practice of the time
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‘The lama was a clever performer’ - From the archive: May 1894
T. L. Phipson recounts an impromptu recital by a lama in a remote Mongolian village, on an instrument that, from its description, may have been a morin khuur
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‘Dream big and give yourself time to try things out’ - violinist Tim Kliphuis’s life lessons
The Dutch violinist recalls his journey to discovering his own distinct style and sound
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Postcard from Detroit: Sphinx Competition and SphinxConnect convention
At the Sphinx Competition and SphinxConnect convention, Rita Fernandes experienced an array of inspiring events that went beyond simply addressing diversity in classical music
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Sentimental Work: Christian Poltéra on Ravel’s Sonata for violin and cello
The challenges of Ravel’s Sonata for violin and cello led to a memorable encounter between the Swiss cellist and his childhood hero, Mstislav Rostropovich
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From the archive: Neville Marriner on his musical education
The violinist, chamber music player and conductor was born on this day in 1924. In this excerpt from a 1986 interview, Neville Marriner speaks to Dennis Rooney about his first encounters with violin playing and his early teachers
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Sentimental Work: Elena Urioste on Mel Bonis’s Violin Sonata
The Violin Sonata by French composer Mel Bonis was a revelation for the US-born violinist, revealing both a new sound world and innovative techniques in music writing
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‘Have faith in the work you do’ - Violinist Maria Ioudenitch tracks her path to a debut tour
Ahead of her debut tour with the Dresden Philharmonic, US violinist Maria Ioudenitch speaks to The Strad about her whirlwind journey from competition success to the start of a glittering performing career
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How the Goldner Quartet realised Richard Goldner’s dream
Charmian Gadd shares the life story of violinist Richard Goldner, who changed the musical landscape of Australia and beyond, culminating in the formation the eponymous quartet
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Cellist Boris Pergamenschikow on his early days as a student
Boris Pergamenschikow prizes his teachers for their emphasis on gradual learning, in this interview from the September 2000 issue of The Strad
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‘She plays like a man’ - From the archive: April 1904
New York correspondent Thomas C. Dawson reports on a performance by Maud Powell and solves a mystery regarding the violins of virtuoso Ede Reményi (1828–98)
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The Viola’s White Knight: Hermann Ritter and the quest for the perfect Alto instrument
Daniel Orsen delves into the history of the Viola Alta - an instrument championed by Hermann Ritter and Richard Wagner that aimed to optimise the acoustics and physicality of the viola
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The life and legacy of cellist Boris Pergamenschikow
Russian cellist Boris Pergamenschikow enjoyed an influential career both teaching and playing in Europe after leaving the Soviet Union, before his untimely death twenty years ago. Oskar Falta examines his legacy and hears from some of his former students
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Opinion: why don’t string players practice pizzicato?
Perfecting bowing is a lifelong quest for string players – but what about pizzicato? Cellist Davina Shum advocates setting aside some dedicated practice time to this neglected technique
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‘I dismantled it almost entirely’ - Writing improvisatory and jazz-infused Lutosławski arrangements
In conversation with The Strad, New York-based jazz bassist, improviser and composer Michael Bates outlines how he arranged seven Lutosławski works for jazz quintet and string quartet
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Session Report: the Carducci Quartet on recording Shostakovich
As the Carducci Quartet releases its third Shostakovich disc, Tom Stewart hears from the group’s violist and cellist about the extreme contrasts between the two featured pieces – the ninth and fifteenth string quartets
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‘How do you make that first mistake?’ - Jazz violinist Scott Tixier on the power of improvisation
The French violinist on his journey into jazz and how the principles of improvisation broaden expressive capabilities and encourage flexibility, imagination and a deeper connection to music, regardless of genre