All Blogs articles – Page 4
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BlogsAlban Gerhardt on playing the Britten and Shostakovich sonatas side by side
Their composers may have been friends but these two 20th-century masterpieces, written 30 very eventful years apart, could hardly be more different
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BlogsAn introduction to Neo-Classical
As Australia prepares to host a festival dedicated to ‘neo-classical’ music, cellist Peter Gregson introduces some of the main exponents of the genre
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Blogs7 steps to self-releasing your album
Advice from composer Matthew Whiteside on a 21st-century approach to recordings, as he prepares to release his new album of string quartet music
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BlogsRaphael Wallfisch: Bloch vs Clarke, in concert
100 years after the composers came head to head in a competition, Wigmore Hall audiences are getting a chance to judge for themselves this week
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BlogsPlayers 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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Blogs5 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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FeatureChoose a modern instrument to kickstart your career
MyLuthier co-founders Ariel Lang and Pedro Silva share some tips on how to start the search for your perfect instrument
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FocusWhy record the music of Goya’s Madrid?
On the heels of ‘Heritage’, the Cuarteto Quiroga’s latest CD release, Cibrán Sierra, violinist with the ensemble, explains why they decided to delve into the music of 18th century Madrid
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BlogsAaron 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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BlogsCellist 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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Feature13 rules of desk partner etiquette
Classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh offered these tips for a harmonious musical relationship in our September 2004 issue
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BlogsIstván 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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BlogsRachel 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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BlogsAaron 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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BlogsÉmile 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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BlogsYuri 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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BlogsStringtelligence 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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FocusStringtelligence by Thomastik-Infeld: whistling E-strings
In the third part of his blog series for The Strad celebrating Thomastik-Infeld’s 100th anniversary, Franz Klanner, the Austrian string manufacturer’s director of engineering and technology, concentrates on whistling and other common issues of violin E-strings
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BlogsAbsolute 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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FocusStringtelligence by Thomastik-Infeld: wolf tones and string buzzing
In the second of the new blog series for The Strad celebrating Thomastik-Infeld’s 100th anniversary, Franz Klanner, the Austrian string manufacturer’s director of engineering and technology, shares his experience in how to tame a wolf tone and get rid of irritating string buzzing
