Featured Stories
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BlogsSigurgeir Agnarsson: a new album celebrating the close ties of Icelandic musicians
The cellist speaks about his solo recording NÁND, which features solo cello compositions by Icelandic uncle and nephew composers Hafliði Hallgrímsson and Hugi Guðmundsson
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Blogs‘The cello has been my one constant’: how the cello underpins Zara Hudson-Kozdoj’s whole life
The cellist shares how her classical training combined with myriad musical styles culminate in her debut album, ‘Remember Who You Are’, a reflection of the cello representing a singular, continuous voice
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Premium ❘ FeatureAlisa Weilerstein: fragments of the future
The US cellist Alisa Weilerstein talks to Peter Quantrill about reinventing the solo recital for a multimedia age, and working with living composers to renew the concerto repertoire
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Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Japan: Sendai International Music Competition
Rita Fernandes encountered exceptional performances but unexpected results at the ninth Sendai International Music Competition
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Premium ❘ FeatureThe Carnatic violin: a voice of fluid grace
Brought to India in the late 18th century, the violin now plays a central role in South Indian classical music. Nikhil Bhambri presents an introduction to its use in Carnatic concerts, and hears from some of its leading exponents
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BlogsHomeward bound: Karisa Chiu’s debut album explores memory and belonging
On her debut album, Home, Chicago-based violinist Karisa Chiu collaborates with pianist Zhu Wang to explore works by Sibelius, Debussy, Fauré, Cyril Scott and Augusta Read Thomas, reflecting on identity and the meaning of home.
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BlogsViola da gambist Sarah Small: how I completed a three-month tour by bicycle
Sarah Small shares tales from her unforgettable concert tour across the British Isles earlier this year, including how experiences on two wheels, connecting with people and places, and keeping the climate crisis at the forefront of her mind gave greater clarity behind her music making
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BlogsTouching eternity: Matthew Barley’s dialogue with Pärt and Bach
As Arvo Pärt turns 90, British cellist Matthew Barley speaks about creating ‘Touching Eternity’, a candlelit programme that weaves Bach, Pärt and Tavener into a shared ritual of sound and silence.
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BlogsResetting your violin technique: lessons from the 1714 Stradivari, ‘Kneisel’
On the back of receiving a loan of a Stradivari violin, Daniel Kurganov shares how adapting to a new instrument can revolutionise your playing
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BlogsFortissima: cellist Raphaela Gromes’ musical outcry for the forgotten heroines of music history
Raphaela Gromes explores neglected cello works by female composers in a new double album and book, Fortissima
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Premium ❘ Focus‘All musical styles are innately interconnected’ - Aleksey Igudesman’s life lessons
The Vienna-based violinist on his formative influences and the importance of venturing outside the norm
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Premium ❘ Feature‘He found himself surrounded by a mob’ - From the Archive: September 1895
The violinist William Wolff recalls some anecdotes about his old friend, the great violinist and composer Louis Spohr (1784–1859)
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BlogsThe Cassatt Quartet celebrates 40 years with a new Joan Tower work inspired by love and memory
Violinist Muneko Otani reflects on the quartet’s close ties with Tower and how grief, memory and renewal shaped a piece that blends lyrical solos with intense ensemble writing
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BlogsGo for it! How to channel your preparation into a confident performance
Cellist and researcher Joanna Latała shares how musicians can implement strategies to harness the ‘Go for It’ approach in practice and performance, to unleash their full potential onstage
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FocusHappy birthday to Itzhak Perlman!
In celebration of the violinist’s birthday on 31 August, enjoy six pearls of wisdom from the man himself
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BlogsFrom carrier bag to concert hall: how I rescued Dorothy Howell’s lost string quartet
Violist of the Berkeley Ensemble Dan Shilladay outlines the monumental task of reconstructing a gem of string quartet repertoire from a composer dubbed ‘the English Richard Strauss’ in her lifetime
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Premium ❘ FeatureBecoming the fiddler: Fiddler on the Roof
Violinist Raphael Papo plays the title character in the award-winning production of Fiddler on the Roof currently touring the UK. He writes about his research and the interdisciplinary approach that went into developing the role at the heart of this classic musical
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Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: The dangers of perfectionism
In striving to become the best player or educator you can be, it’s important not to fall into the trap of unhelpful perfectionism, say violinists and teachers Claire Allen and Christine Goodner
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BlogsDoubling down on the duo: violin reflections in ‘American Mirror’
Featuring Njioma Grevious and Tai Murray, Curtis Stewart’s new violin duo explores identity, genre and collaboration as part of Sphinx Virtuosi’s American Mirror.
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BlogsLucerne Festival debut: Swiss violinist David Nebel on incompleteness, continuity and coming home
The Swiss-born violinist, now concertmaster of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, returns to a city close to his heart for his Lucerne Festival debut – and reflects on balancing leadership, solo performance and a programme built around the 2025 festival’s ’Open End’ theme.
