Featured Stories – Page 9
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Focus10 tips for learning and teaching sightreading
Advice from The Strad’s archive on how to improve sightreading and reminders of its crucial place in any good musician’s skillset
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Blogs
’There is little to no room for error’: Sightreading in a recording session orchestra
Associate concertmaster of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and session orchestra violinist Alexandra Gorski explains the high level of sightreading required from session musicians, as well as principles she employs to nail those one-take wonders
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Focus
Sol Gabetta: Life Lessons
The Argentinian cellist explains why staying true to oneself and constantly evolving make for a fruitful career
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Focus
‘The repertoire is about transformation, change or loss’: United Strings of Europe
Artistic director of United Strings of Europe Julian Azkoul shares the motivation behind the arrangments featured on the ensemble’s latest album Renewal
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Focus
Two simple exercises for smooth string crossings
How to play controlled, smooth and seamless melodic lines
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Focus
Hybrid model: Postcard from Trondheim
The 2021 Princess Astrid International Music Competition worked around the continuing pandemic restrictions with online preliminary rounds followed by a live final on 18 November. Tim Homfray travelled north to witness some compelling performances
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Focus
How to achieve smooth bow changes at the frog
Former Juilliard School cello professor Bonnie Hampton answers advises readers on how to encourage smooth bow changes in their students. From 2011.
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Focus
6 ways to improve your string crossing
Tips for even and seamless string crossing from The Strad’s archive
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Focus
John Williams at 90: Anne-Sophie Mutter’s ‘respect for this gigantic musician’
In honour of John Williams’s 90th birthday today, here’s an extract from April 2020, where violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter spoke to Charlotte Smith about her new recording collaboration with the renowned film composer
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Blogs
‘Your salad will be so tasty!’: When musicians and food collide
Paring away at old transcripts from former Strad interviewees, Rita Fernandes presents string players’ food and cooking analogies that faced the chop and didn’t make the final dish
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Focus
Sentimental Work: Philippe Graffin
For the Elgar Violin Concerto, the French violinist has taken advice from Yehudi Menuhin, Josef Gingold and Roger Norrington – as well as the composer’s original manuscript
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Focus
Born on this day: Violinist Jascha Heifetz
Read about the renowned violinist and teacher who inspired (and frightened) scores of players
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Premium ❘ Article
‘We entered, just in time to see the bride and groom exit the church’: Letters to the Editor February 2022
A selection of letters The Strad receives each month from its readers around the world: February 2022 issue
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Premium ❘ Feature
Théotime Langlois de Swarte: Dramatic flair
French Baroque violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte has released four albums in a little over a year. He shares with Charlotte Gardner the origins of his dream of uncovering the works of long-forgotten composers – and how that project has come to fruition
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Premium ❘ Feature
Session Report: Good as new
The second album from the United Strings of Europe features original arrangements of existing works by artistic director Julian Azkoul – but more than this, the works are thematically linked by transformation and loss, as he tells Toby Deller
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Focus
Wilma Smith: Life Lessons
The Antipodean violinist on how chamber music and seizing opportunities made for a varied career in the New Zealand String Quartet and as concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
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Focus
‘A Baroque composer living in the 21st century’ - Steven Isserlis on recording British Solo Cello Music
In this extract from the January 2022 issue, cellist Steven Isserlis speaks about recording works by British composers, who are all linked by a shared respect for the past
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Focus
ecoRosin by Leatherwood Bespoke Rosin
ecoRosin strives to leave a zero footprint on our planet whilst offering string players premium rosin recipes for colourful music making
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Feature
Sentimental Work: Boris Kuschnir on Mozart Violin Concerto no.4
For the Austrian violinist, Mozart’s Violin Concerto no.4 in D major K218 brings back fond memories of David Oistrakh – and a less salubrious recollection of the Tibor Varga Competition. From the October 2019 issue
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Focus
‘Minimalistic music is composed in a minimalist way, but I want to get the maximum out of this’
Toby Deller speaks to the LGT Young Soloists artistic director Alexander Gilman about recording Philip Glass’s brand new Symphony no.14 ’Liechtenstein’, in this extract from the January 2022 issue
