Featured Stories
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BlogsTwo Czech pieces you should know: violinist Kryštof Kohout
Kryštof Kohout unearths two pieces by Czech composers Luboš Fišer and Váša Příhoda, ahead of their London premieres at Wigmore Hall
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Premium ❘ Feature'If you play without mistake I will make you a present' - From the Archive: August 1905
A reminiscence (possibly apocryphal) of the renowned Scottish fiddler Niel Gow (1727–1807), composer of more than 80 dance tunes
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NewsLetters from Lony: how letters from an Auschwitz victim became the subject for a chamber work
Ronald Corps’ setting of Lony Fraenkel’s letters to her family during World War II will be performed at the Three Choirs Festival on 1 August
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BlogsAn avalanche of memories: Álvaro Bitrán remembers János Starker
The cellist of the Latin American Quartet shares memories of tough love and camaraderie with his former teacher, who died in 2013
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Blogs‘A dream finally realised’: Rachel Barton Pine on recording French chamber works with old friends
The violinist discusses long-standing musical friendships, the lyrical intensity of Chausson’s Concert and the overlooked brilliance of Germaine Tailleferre.
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Premium ❘ FeatureColeridge-Taylor 150: ‘A message of hope and resilience’
August 2025 marks 150 years since the birth of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the British composer and violinist. Bruce Hodges speaks to five leading violinists about what his music means to them
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Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from France: Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition
At the 2025 edition of the triennial Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, Charlotte Gardner was delighted to hear a dazzlingly high standard of music making
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Premium ❘ FeatureAbel Selaocoe: I am because we are
South African cellist, singer and composer Abel Selaocoe speaks to Lauren Wesley-Smith about opening up classical spaces, finding his musical identity, and his most recent album – as well as sharing a few pearls of wisdom
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FocusWords of Wisdom: Double bassist Gary Karr
The double bassist offered advice from his playing and teaching career in our June 2011 issue
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BlogsConcert review: an evening at Seattle Chamber Music Society’s 2025 Summer Festival
US correspondent Thomas May attends Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Summer Festival concert on 15 July 2025
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BlogsEnhancing musical performance: the power of pre-performance routines
How can your routine before a performance affect how you play? Cellist and researcher Joanna Latała investigates actions that can help aid musical performance and consistency
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Premium ❘ Focus‘People sense when you are genuinely passionate about something’ - Stephen Upshaw’s life lessons
The Solem Quartet violist on the life of a chamber musician and how to create your own professional path
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Premium ❘ FeatureSofia Gubaidulina: a musical offering
Gavin Dixon examines the spiritual, visionary string works of the Russian–Tatar composer Sofia Gubaidulina, who died earlier this year
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BlogsTanzania’s Daraja Music Initiative: making an impact through conservation and music education
Violinist Aija Reke shares her experience teaching at the Daraja Music Initiative in Tanzania, a programme that combines music education and conservation of African Blackwood
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BlogsConsone Quartet: it’s not every day that a period string quartet plays music by a living composer
Ahead of its final appearances in its three-year residency as associate ensemble at Music at Paxton, the Consone Quartet shares its thoughts on a new commission by Oliver Leith celebrating its tenth anniversary, as well as what lies ahead for the group
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BlogsTwo anniversaries: the Carducci Quartet on Ravel and Shostakovich string quartets
Ahead of a performance at Music at Paxton, the ensemble shares their thoughts on a programme containing two pillars of string quartet repertoire
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BlogsMemories of János Starker: Hamilton Cheifetz
Celebrating the anniversary of János Starker’s birth on 5 July, cellist Hamilton Cheifetz shares cherished lessons and memories of his former teacher
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Premium ❘ FeatureStaying power: US String Quartets
As Brooklyn Rider and the Jack and the Miró quartets mark milestone anniversaries, Thomas May looks at how these contemporary American ensembles are not just surviving, but reshaping the 21st-century musical landscape
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Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Ayanna Witter-Johnson on Debussy’s Cello Sonata
Discovering the myriad colours and layers of Debussy’s Cello Sonata was an eye-opening experience for the British cellist, pianist, vocalist and composer
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Blogs‘When you programme a festival, you need to find an anchor’ - Julia Fischer on the Boswil Summer Festival
Ahead of the Boswil Summer Festival, co-artistic director Julia Fischer speaks to The Strad’s staff writer Rita Fernandes about programming her first summer edition, unique concert formats and engaging festival goers
