Featured Stories – Page 6
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Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Bucharest: George Enescu International Competition
The long-running George Enescu Competition has now very much proved its mettle amid the international circuit, as Rita Fernandes discovers
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GalleryWho’s that cellist?: Professional artist sketches star cellists
Take a guess at which cellists are portrayed in these practice sketches by artist Hyung Ki Park
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BlogsBalancing old and new: the Maxwell Quartet and its unique blend of instruments
The Maxwell Quartet makes the case for using a mix of instruments dating from 1700 to 2017 in its latest recording that combines Haydn string quartets with Scottish folk music
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BlogsThe Year 1905: Edward Elgar and his Introduction and Allegro, op.47 for solo string quartet and strings
Conductor Peter Manning explores the historical and musical context of the work, ahead of a performance with Chromatica on 11 February
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BlogsRecovering paradise: Alisa Weilerstein on Richard Blackford’s new climate change concerto
The American cellist speaks with US correspondent Thomas May about a new work she is premiering this season that hits especially close to home: Richard Blackford’s The Recovery of Paradise concerto for cello, which takes its name from the wildfires that devastated Southern California in 2018.
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BlogsWhy I write my own cadenzas: violinist Lir Vaginsky
The violinist shares how writing her own cadenzas for her recording of Mozart concertos resulted in a deeper connection with both the composer and audiences
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BlogsHow we reflected Turkey’s musical richness in 24 one-minute pieces for solo violin during the pandemic
Cellist Mehmet Gökhan Bağcı interviews Turkish violinist Önder Baloglu, who sheds light on the pandemic-induced project Unvoiced Diaries, comprising short, Instagram-friendly compositions, plus its significance in the broader context of Turkish classical music
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Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: Timothy Ridout on recording a new solo album
As violist Timothy Ridout makes his first foray into recording alone, he and his producer Andrew Keener tell Davina Shum about the process of setting down music by Bach, Britten, Shaw and Telemann
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Premium ❘ FeatureDinner with Kreisler: the Kreisler 150th anniversary
To mark the 150th anniversary of the Austrian virtuoso violinist’s birth on 2 February 1875, long-time fan Ariane Todes imagines a dinner-party conversation with her hero, based on documentary evidence and accounts by his contemporaries
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Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: Making the most out of chamber music coaching
Playing chamber music well is the most valuable, and demanding, lesson for both string students and their teachers, says cellist David Finckel. He shares his own wealth of experience for making the most of coaching sessions
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Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis February 2025: Star string players targeted online
Some of the world’s top string players have become targets for online scammers – and it doesn’t stop there. What steps should all musicians take to help protect their fanbase?
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Premium ❘ FeatureTechnique: Creating core in your viola sound
Jeanne-Louise Moolman shares tips on how to create a sound with core on the viola
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Blogs’There’s a moment where I feel like I need to relearn a piece’ - Julia Fischer on how to keep fresh on tour
In advance of her tour with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Vasily Petrenko, the German violinist speaks to The Strad about what she is most looking forward to, how to sustain a month-long tour, plus what she gets up to outside of performances
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Blogs‘These are by no means the easiest’: the Calidore Quartet on Beethoven’s early string quartets
The Calidore Quartet has embarked on a mighty project of recording all the Beethoven string quartets. Approaching the release of its final installment comprising the early op.18 quartets, the ensemble reflect on the challenges and quirks of these works
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Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Glenn Dicterow on Bernstein’s Serenade after Plato’s ‘Symposium’
The New York Philharmonic’s former concertmaster recalls how he first learnt the solo part of Bernstein’s Serenade after Plato’s ‘Symposium’ before a national tour with the composer conducting
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Premium ❘ FeatureNigel Kennedy: the real thing
Nigel Kennedy is still often viewed as the bad boy of the violin, but he reveals his thoughtful, straight-talking nature as he chats with Harry White about equality, education and his recent forays into original composition
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Premium ❘ Feature‘It’s about spending time with the music’: the Attacca Quartet
The Attacca Quartet is about to release its first recording of Ravel’s String Quartet in F major, closing the circle on the ensemble’s career so far. George Grella hears from the four musicians about why they are drawn to that composer, and about their repertoire choices, influences and working methods
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BlogsViolinist Daniil Bulayev on his debut album of Bloch, Enescu and Ysaÿe
The winner of the 2021 Windsor Festival International String Competition shares how personal tragedy emphasises his connection Bloch’s Baal Shem, which features on his debut album
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Premium ❘ Feature‘His bow was snapped in two as the window-curtains caught fire’ - From the archive
In the dim and distant past, The Strad would raid other periodicals for violin-related stories. Two examples follow.
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BlogsDrones and opioid dreams: Daniel Pioro and Manchester Camerata reimagine Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’
The adventurous British violin virtuoso talks with US correspondent Thomas May about why he couldn’t resist adding his stamp to one of classical music’s most beloved icons
