All Feature articles
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Feature6 ways to improve left-hand flexibility
Tips from The Strad’s archive on increasing suppleness of movement and reducing tension
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Sentimental Work: François Rabbath
Performing Bach’s Cello Suites on the double bass was unheard of when the 90-year-old bassist was starting out – but now they’re almost considered standard repertoire
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Sentimental Work: Daniel Hope
Schnittke’s First Violin Sonata was the Irish–German violinist’s introduction to the composer’s work – as well as the perfect opening to meet the composer himself
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Sentimental Work: Amit Peled
Bloch’s Prayer was the Israeli–American cellist’s entry to understanding Jewish music – and in fact provides a perfect example of ‘the Jewish sonata form’
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Sentimental Work: Camille Thomas
The Franco-Belgian cellist gave an impassioned premiere performance of Fazil Say’s cello concerto ‘Never Give Up’ in 2018, and has now recorded the piece for Deutsche Grammophon
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String Recycling: New Life from Old Strings
The structure and shape of strings make them difficult and costly to recycle. But that hasn’t stopped some manufacturers from tackling the challenge, and even extracting metal from old strings to use in new ones, writes Tom Stewart
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Leadership and diplomacy: how to be a good orchestral concertmaster
A piece from our archive in which former concertmaster John Georgiadis, who died on Tuesday, tells Julian Haylock his memories of the London Symphony Orchestra
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Sentimental Work: Narek Hakhnazaryan
For the Armenian cellist, Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations allows for incredible freedom of expression – and even has the ability to heal
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Sentimental Work: Ray Chen
The Preludio and Gavotte en Rondeau from Bach’s Violin Partita no.3 were the violinist’s key to the Sonatas and Partitas – and provide meaning in the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic
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Sentimental Work: Amanda Forsyth
For the Canadian cellist, Richard Strauss’s Don Quixote is a rollercoaster ride through all the composer’s Romantic works, as well as a huge physical challenge
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Sentimental Work: Anssi Karttunen
For the Finnish cellist, Magnus Lindberg’s Cello Concerto no.2 embodies his lifelong working relationship with the composer, through a complex set of emotions
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How do you make a music school on a bus?
Petru Cotarcea, founder of Lyceum Music, explains how he set up his music school on a London double-decker bus
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Sentimental Work: Tasmin Little
The Brahms Violin Concerto has been at the heart of several of the British violinist’s most memorable performances
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Sentimental Work: Vadim Repin
Despite a shaky beginning, Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto no.2 has become one of the most beloved pieces in the Russian violinist’s repertoire
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Sentimental Work: Roby Lakatos
‘The devil’s fiddler’ explains why Monti ’s Csárdás has been a mainstay of his repertoire since the earliest days – and why it still brings out the creativity in him and his collaborators
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Sentimental Work: Steven Isserlis
Beethoven’s Cello Sonata no.4 was the gateway the British cellist needed to understand the myriad delights and complexities of the composer’s work
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Start your course hunting here!
Before you start combing through the string courses listed in this guide, take a look at these suggestions to help find the course that’s right for you
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Outside the box
During 2020 music courses around the world were forced to contend with travel restrictions and distancing regulations owing to Covid-19. Some were able to adapt with scaled-back live events, while others turned to online solutions. As the pandemic continues, Peter Somerford investigates how courses plan to operate in 2021
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Sentimental Work: Maxim Vengerov
The First Violin Concerto by Shostakovich brings back memories of the Russian violinist’s first meeting with Mstislav Rostropovich – an encounter that blossomed into firm friendship
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Sentimental Work: Anne-Sophie Mutter on Penderecki’s Metamorphosen
Interviewed for The Strad August 2018, Anne-Sophie Mutter discusses Penderecki’s Second Violin Concerto, a work that harbours undiscovered secrets
