Featured Stories – Page 9
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Premium ❘ FeatureDouble bassist Joseph Conyers: Driven by music
Principal double bassist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, teacher, mentor and entrepreneur, Joseph Conyers has a multifaceted career. David Kettle speaks to him to discover the source of his boundless energy
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BlogsJames Oesi: five pieces from the African diaspora for double bass
Ahead of the 2023 Dutch Double Bass Festival, the event’s co-founder shines a light on some special pieces of repertoire
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Premium ❘ Feature'When someone is healthy inside, it sounds that way' - Mental health services in conservatoires
Rita Fernandes hears from administrators, counsellors and teachers from music schools about what defines a successful conservatoire mental health support system
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BlogsViolinist Benjamin Baker on curating the At World’s Edge Festival
From the stunning landscapes of New Zealand’s South Island is the At World’s Edge Festival. Artistic director Benjamin Baker shares the reasons behind the festival’s programming
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Premium ❘ FeaturePablo Casals and the Bach Cello Suites: Journey to a masterpiece
To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Pablo Casals in October 1973, Oskar Falta examines the great Catalan cellist’s ‘rediscovery’ of the Bach Cello Suites, and the continuing legacy of his highly personal approach to the music
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BlogsNo planes, just trains: how our string quartet completed a sustainable international tour
Violinist Georgina MacDonell Finlayson outlines the ways the UK-based ensemble Vulva Voce are stepping up to combat carbon emissions, and compares the cost of train travel with the more conventional method of touring, flying
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BlogsPerforming Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on period instruments: violinist Christina Day Martinson
The Boston Baroque concertmaster shares her experiences and the challenges faced by string players when playing Beethoven’s mighty Ninth Symphony on period instruments
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Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Sergej Krylov on Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto no.1
Mstislav Rostropovich had some resonant words of wisdom for the Soviet-born Italian violinist when they worked together on Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto no.1
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BlogsMartin Goldman: how I made the switch from playing viola to violin
Much has been shared on switching from violin to viola, but what about the other way around? Martin Goldman shares the processes and challenges of ‘downsizing’ his instrument
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FocusDouble Acts: cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and violinist Maxim Vengerov
Before he became friends with Mstislav Rostropovich, Maxim Vengerov had to learn how to drink. From October 2004
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BlogsComposer Michael Stimpson: how my time in ICU inspired a work for cello and piano
Marking his 75th birthday, composer Michael Stimpson tells a story of survival through the recording release of his work Tales from the 15th Floor on 5 October
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Blogs‘Two days of my heroes live on stage’: James Oesi on curating the Dutch Double Bass Festival
Ahead of the Dutch Double Bass Festival on 13 & 14 October, James Oesi speaks about showcasing the double bass across all genres, as well as spotlighting both established and emerging artists
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Premium ❘ FeatureFinding the right bow: A marriage made in heaven
A string player can miss out on the full potential of their instrument if they don’t find the perfect bow to go with it. A host of players and bow makers share their experiences with Jacqueline Vanasse and lend advice on the process of searching for the right bow
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Focus‘String players are the best!’: Peter Gregson on finding new string sound worlds
Ahead of a performance at London’s Southbank Centre in November, composer and cellist Peter Gregson speaks about collaborating with the Carducci Quartet, as well as finding new ways to write for stringed instruments
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BlogsPremiere: Joseph Phibbs on his new string quintet
Ahead of the Wigmore Hall’s two Portrait concerts on Saturday 7 October, Joseph Phibbs writes about his new String Quintet for the Piatti Quartet and cellist Tim Lowe, as well as taking inspiration from Schubert
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Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: Flexibility in orchestral playing
Violinist Alexandra Gorski argues that an orchestra’s greatest asset is not power or accuracy; rather the ability to adapt seamlessly to every style of music and manner of conductor
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Blogs‘Music is a powerful tool for education and awareness’: violinist Rebekah Reid
The violinist shares how using a combination of acoustics, improvisation and electronics to the themes of synchronicity and cycles provided her with the tools to create music for the podcast 28ish Days Later, helping break taboos surrounding discussions of the female menstrual cycle
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FocusDo string students really need to learn note names? Teacher’s notes with Philippa Bunting
Learning the names of notes can be one of the first stumbling blocks for beginner pupils. But it doesn’t have to be
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Focus‘As though we’d been playing together for years’ - Double Acts: Emmanuelle Bertrand and Pascal Amoyel
French cellist Emmanuelle Bertrand and her duo partner and compatriot, pianist Pascal Amoyel, on why they are each other’s ‘musical barometer’.
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Premium ❘ Feature‘His violin still sings in my ears’ - From the Archive: October 1893
The Strad selects some highlights from the memoirs of violinist Charles Dancla (1817–1907), recently published in Paris