All Blogs articles – Page 7
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Blogs
Players of tomorrow: Maxim Tzekov
Following his win at the Kloster Schöntal International Violin Competition, 18-year-old Maxim Tzekov shares his top practice tip and reveals how he mentally prepares for competitions
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Blogs
5 reasons why I love playing viola transcriptions
To tie in with the release of The Tale of Two Violas, Peter Mallinson, one of the disc’s two violists, shares his insights into the advantages of playing transcriptions
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Blogs
Postcard from the inaugural Australian Luthier & Archetier Congress
Peter Reid writes a first-hand account of the first international violin making workshop in Australia in decades
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Blogs
UK primary music education is a lottery. Here’s how to help
Thomas Kemp writes about how getting involved with local schools gave him an insight into giving children an initial musical spark
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Blogs
Bridging the gap from Conservatoire to becoming a professional musician
Cellist Mary Elliott-Rose on her finding her professional self through chamber music, and creating opportunities for others at the Cowbridge Music Festival
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Blogs
7 tips for classical violinists to unlock their inner fiddler
Colin Jacobsen from string quartet Brooklyn Rider with some advice for classically trained approaches to folk traditions
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Blogs
Aaron Rosand: 5 ways good posture will improve your playing
Good standing and sitting positions, and avoiding using a shoulder rest, are all important for optimum performance, wrote the American virtuoso in 2014
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Blogs
Baroque music was invented in Italy – and spread like wildfire
Violinist Johannes Pramsohler writes about the latest two albums from Ensemble Diderot, dedicated to the Italian influence on music in Paris and London
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Blogs
Cellist describes multi-leg travel nightmare
Jacob Shaw has written an exasperated post about a recent trip from Denmark to Mexico in which the airlines seems to fail him in a different way each leg
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Blogs
István Várdai on winning competitions and beyond
Having picked up prizes early in his career, and more recently served as a jury member, the cellist offers some advice for those preparing to join the competition circuit
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Blogs
Rachel Barton Pine: 10 tips for practice and performance
The Strad attended a masterclass with the American violinist in 2015 and took down these practical pointers
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Blogs
Aaron Rosand on how to practise effectively
There is no short cut to fine playing; only logical, intelligent and concentrated practice will yield results, writes the American violin virtuoso
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Blogs
Émile Sauret, moderation and the ‘saccade’ bow stroke
As Nazrin Rashidova continues her recorded exploration of Sauret’s Études-Caprices played on his own Stradivari, she contemplates an unusual technical challenge
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Blogs
Yuri Zhislin on the 6 pillars of violin playing
The violinist and violist boils down a career’s worth of experience as soloist, chamber musician and teacher
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Blogs
Stringtelligence by Thomastik-Infeld: the right rosin for your strings
Franz Klanner, director of engineering and technology at Thomastik-Infeld, shares his knowledge about rosin and the importance of choosing the right one for your strings
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Blogs
Viola Rush: a 3-day collaborative instrument project
Earlier this year, Antoine Gourdon put together a team of four luthiers to make a small viola in three days during the Viola 2019 conference in Paris. Here he introduces the project, shares photos and more
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Blogs
Arranging Brian Eno's ambient masterpiece for string quartet
Composer David Lancaster on turning the trailblaizing tape-loop album into a score for strings
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Blogs
Hartmann’s Concerto Funebre: a neglected masterpiece
Violinist Itamar Zorman offers a movement-by-movement analysis and appreciation of Karl Amadeus Hartmann’s Concerto Funebre for violin and string orchestra
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Blogs
Absolute Bird: music inspired by birdsong
Violinist Alexandra Wood, Creative Director of City of London Sinfonia, introduces their Absolute Bird series in conjunction with the RSPB – a life-affirming project on and off the stage of the Southbank and Southwark Cathedral
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Blogs
7 tips on starting a quartet – and keeping it going long-term
The Minguet Quartet began playing together as students in 1988, and the original line-up are still going strong 30 years later. Here’s how they do it.