All Featured Stories articles
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BlogsWhy practice doesn’t prepare musicians for performance
Violinist and educator Maggie Watson explores why performance feels so different from the practice room, revealing how perception, the nervous system and psychological skills shape what really happens under pressure, and how musicians can train for the stage as deliberately as they train their technique
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Premium ❘ FeatureNemanja Radulović: music in the moment
Charismatic Serbian violinist Nemanja Radulović chats to Charlotte Gardner about the importance of artistic freedom and musical friendships, and recording his latest album of music by Prokofiev
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Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Geneva: Concours de Genève viola competition
At the 2025 Concours de Genève, which marked the viola’s return to the competition after two decades, Rita Fernandes discovered the unique artistic personalities of the new generation
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Blogs‘An uncanny gift for helping people realise what music is about’: celebrating György Kurtág at 100
For the 100th anniversary of the monumental Hungarian composer, The Strad recounts his musical upbringing, most influential string works and shares words from leading string players about their experiences with the composer and his music
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Blogs‘We interpret the music through a modern lens’: The Anzû Quartet on Messiaen’s ‘Quatuor’
To mark the release of their new recording of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps, the Anzû Quartet considers how a fixed ensemble rooted in contemporary music approaches one of the chamber repertoire’s most singular works.
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BlogsBeyond the practice room: how musicians and music schools must evolve to thrive in a changing world
Violinist Hector Scott explores how the role of musicians has changed over time, and the crucial skills that string players need to learn in order to adapt
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BlogsRecording Dvořák with an extraordinary cello
The young French cellist Raphaël Jouan reflects on a rare and transformative encounter with a 1710 Matteo Gofriller cello. Thanks to a generous loan, Jouan was able to record his new Dvořák album on this exceptional instrument, which was previously in the hands of the renowned cellist Antonio Meneses.
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Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Orin O’Brien on Stravinsky’s ballet Orpheus
Playing the score for Stravinsky’s ballet Orpheus was a formative experience for the American double bassist in the years before she joined the New York Philharmonic
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Premium ❘ FeatureYsaÿe recounts his WW1 exile - From the archive: February 1916
Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, living in exile in London during World War I, tells writer B. Henderson how he escaped from his homeland in 1914
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BlogsBeauty unbound by history: cellist Tommy Mesa explores the many voices of his 1767 Gagliano
Cellist Tommy Mesa’s historic Gagliano cello frames an eclectic programme spanning repertoire familiar and new.
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BlogsRedefining romance: Esther Yoo’s ‘Love Symposium’
With her new album released just ahead of Valentine’s Day, violinist Esther Yoo explores love in its widest sense – from Plato’s ancient philosophies to the bonds of family, friendship, nature and self
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Blogs‘A jewel of a piece’: Tamsin Waley-Cohen remembers Oliver Knussen through his final composition
Ten years after Oliver Knussen wrote Reflection, his last completed piece, violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen’s new recording of the work with pianist Huw Watkins celebrates the personal collaboration and musical friendship that brought it to life
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BlogsCommissioning life: the Apollo Chamber Players on the untapped potential of the string quartet
Ahead of the world premiere of Daniel Bernard Roumain’s new work, founder of the Apollo Chamber Players, Matthew J. Detrick, explains how the group explores the issues of our time through their commissions and the rich possibilities of the quartet form
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Premium ❘ Focus‘Constant questioning makes life so beautiful’ - Nicolas Altstaedt’s life lessons
The German cellist on developing an intuitive understanding of music, and the importance of constant exploration
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Premium ❘ FeatureNot just the greatest showpiece: Paganini’s Fifth Caprice
Do we have the wrong impression of Paganini’s famously flashy Fifth Caprice? Violinist Benjamin Shute believes so. He discusses why we should think more carefully about performance practice, especially the infamous ricochet bow
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BlogsPlay the keys! How a closer look at tonality benefits our performance
Violist Carol Hubel-Allen explores the emotive effects that key signatures can play in music, and offers practical methods for musicians to deepen their understanding of tonality
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BlogsTwo concerts, one city: New York’s love for the violin
Davina Shum reports back from a weekend in Manhattan, which revealed the city’s deep devotion to the violin – from María Dueñas’s dazzling New York Philharmonic debut to Itzhak Perlman’s intimate turn at Carnegie Hall
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BlogsHow do string players deal with cold temperatures?
After Storm Fern buried New York in its heaviest snowfall in years, sub‑zero temperatures put both musicians and their instruments to the test. Davina Shum asked musicians how they protect their instruments – and fingers – when temperatures drop.
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Blogs‘A source of great inspiration’: Tamsin Waley-Cohen on the world premiere recording of Huw Watkins’ Sonata
A testament to their long‑standing musical friendship, Huw Watkins’ Sonata captures the artistic rapport he shares with the violinist
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VideoMichael Stephen Brown gives the viola the spotlight in a new work
Paul Neubauer takes centre stage in Brown’s work The Viola from his Pas de Trois
