Featured Stories – Page 3
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Premium ❘ Feature
Session Report: Nancy Zhou on her debut album for solo violin
Violinist Nancy Zhou speaks to Charlotte Gardner about her debut album, which is inspired by stories of personal and musical relationships, and showcases the versatility of the violin as a solo instrument
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Opinion: The future of lutherie after the Newark School’s course cancellations
News came in May that the Newark School of Violin Making is withdrawing its degree-level courses. Helen Michetschläger, who trained at the school, says what this might mean for the future of lutherie worldwide
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Premium ❘ Article
Analysis July 2025: The effects of Leicester Square’s ban on buskers
Now that buskers have been banned in London’s Leicester Square, how does the future of street entertainment look for those who depend on it for their livelihood? By Peter Somerford
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Blogs
‘A deep mutual respect between generations’ - Q&A with the Geneva International String Academy directors
The Academy’s artistic directors Noémie Bialobroda and Sergey Ostrovsky discuss the programme’s unique side-by-sides, which impact as much the students as the mentors
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Blogs
Jeremy Garrett: Off-grid bluegrass and the storms within
A raw and reflective solo set from Infamous Stringdusters fiddler Jeremy Garrett, Storm Mountain channels off-grid living into bluegrass with bite, soul and cosmic curiosity.
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Blogs
The Good Bad Day: how to play on days that aren’t your best
Taking inspiration from tennis players ‘winning ugly,’ cellist and researcher Joanna Latała shares approaches for optimising practice and performance when you’re not in your best form
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Blogs
Twenty years in the Neuk: A festival like no other
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the East Neuk Festival returns with world-class string quartets playing late Beethoven, a new Sally Beamish commission for the combined ensembles and a spirit of musical adventure shaped by its breathtaking coastal Scottish setting
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Blogs
Always by my side: what do cellists keep in their case?
From endpin stoppers, to mutes and yoga mats, leading cellists reveal the items that they always carry with them when they are on the road. From the June 2025 Accessories supplement
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Adam Summerhayes: Music shaped by instinct
Adam Summerhayes is a violinist and composer who combines his flair for improvisation and a love of folk music with a classical training and technique. He speaks to Alexandra Petropoulos about his latest projects and his very special instruments
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Postcard from Newark: Newark School Lutherie Day
Students, amateurs and professional makers all came together at this year’s Lutherie Day for talks on anything violin-related. Christian Lloyd went along
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Blogs
Currents, contours and colours: Shedding new light on French music
On its latest album, the Neave Trio reimagines French chamber music through colour, texture and narrative, anchored by Sally Beamish’s bold take on Debussy’s La Mer
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Blogs
Always by my side: what do violists keep in their case?
From strings, to guitar slides, to emotional support mascots, leading violists reveal the items that they always carry with them when they are on the road. From the June 2025 Accessories supplement
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‘We could all do with being a little less vain’: Tanja Tetzlaff’s life lessons
The German cellist on her biggest influences and the importance of humility
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Terry Riley: Ninety journeys around the sun
The trailblazing Californian composer Terry Riley celebrates his 90th birthday this month. David Kettle speaks with him and with some of the musicians who have championed his eclectic, improvisatory music for strings
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‘Elman was the finest violinist in the world’ - From the Archive: June 1905
A 13-year-old Mischa Elman and 11-year-old Vivien Chartres (not 9, as stated in the text) astonish The Strad’s reviewer ‘Gamba’ with their technical prowess
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Blogs
Anne Akiko Meyers and the art of collaboration
The violinist on her new recordings of music by Philip Glass, Billy Childs, and Michael Daugherty—and what it means to build trust with the composers who write for her.
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Blogs
Always by my side: what do violinists keep in their case?
From spare shoulder rests, chinrest keys to various mutes and rosins, leading violinists reveal the items that they always carry with them when they are on the road. From the June 2025 Accessories supplement
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Article
The ‘Anti-Festival’ as a manifesto: festival director Peter Askim on the merits of integrity in the music business
The artistic director of The Next Festival of Emerging Artists outlines the unyielding ethos that has guided the festival for young artists, and why, against the odds, it works
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Video
‘Bien chanté’: Violinist Cristian de Sá on Ravel’s Sonate op. Posthume
2025 marks the 150th anniversary of Ravel’s birth. Along with pianist Keigo Mukawa, the violinist Cristian de Sá presents a performance of Ravel’s Posthumous Sonata, plus historical and personal insights on the work