All Focus articles
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Focus
The Strad Calendar 2025: 1689 ‘Baumgartner’ Antonio Stradivari violin
Marking the end of Stradivari’s early ’Amatisé’ period, it is named for the Swiss violin dealer Fritz Baumgartner
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The Strad Calendar 2025: 1871 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin
An exact copy of Stradivari’s ‘Messiah’, it remained in a vault in Paris for more than 70 years
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The Strad Calendar 2025: c.1700 ‘Bell’ Giovanni Tononi violin
With a reddish-brown varnish over a golden ground, this violin shows the influence of Nicolò Amati
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The Strad Calendar 2025: 1715 Domenico Montagnana violin
A rare example of a violin by the noted Venetian maker of cellos, it has a two-piece back of irregular figure
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The Strad Calendar 2025: 1700 ‘Taft’ Antonio Stradivari violin
Boasting beautiful orange–red varnish, it was formerly played by Emil Heermann, concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
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The Strad Podcast: How to tailor the Suzuki Method to different students with violinist Meghan Faw
The violinist shares her personal experiences with the method as both a student and a teacher
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The Strad Calendar 2025: 1706 ‘Brott-Turner’ David Tecchler cello
The first instrument ever added to the Musical Instrument Bank of the Canada Council for the Arts, it is a masterpiece of the Rome-based luthier’s work
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The Strad Podcast: How to hold a masterclass with violinist Paul Huang
The violinist speaks about his teaching approaches in a unique learning experience, in the third part of our four-part education-themed podcast series
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The Strad Podcast: How to teach collaborative skills with violinist Annie Fullard of the Cavani Quartet
‘We should live in a chamber music world’ - the violinist speaks about the importance of collaboration inside and outside of the practice room, in the second episode of our four-part education-themed podcast series
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The Strad Podcast: How to practise effectively with violinist Ray Chen
The first in our new four-part education themed podcast series features our September 2024 cover star
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Sentimental work: Jennifer Stumm on Rebecca Clarke’s Viola Sonata
For the American violist, this 1919 work brings back memories of early successes and the inspirational teacher who introduced it to her
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Great string players of the past: violinist Ivry Gitlis on George Enescu
Ivry Gitlis’s lessons with George Enescu focused purely on the music. From October 2013
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‘I fell in love with music and everything changed’ - Antonio Meneses’s life lessons
In this article from The Strad’s March 2017 issue, the Brazilian cellist talks about playing the piano, taking it slow, and a piece that changed him
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Dramatic visions: Rihm’s String Quartets
Intense, theatrical, demanding – Wolfgang Rihm’s string pieces inspire a raft of reactions. As the composer celebrated his 60th birthday in March 2012, David Kettle asks quartet players how they take on the challenges of his work
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Unweaving the rainbow: the ‘Spanish court’ bow
An elaborately decorated 18th-century bow has evaded serious scrutiny – until now. In this article from the April 2014 issue, Matthew Zeller details the analysis of the many types of wood it contains
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‘It’s a real partnership’: Rachel Podger on her violin and bow
Our August 2024 cover star discusses the tools of her trade
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Great violinists: Arthur Grumiaux
Julian Haylock examines a performer whose aristocratic poise and purity of tone combined to perfection in Bach and Mozart, in this article from June 2010
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Aaron Rosand on finding the perfect set of strings
Finding the best strings for your instrument can take years of trial and error. The American violinist reflects on his ongoing journey to discover the perfect set
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Great violinists: Eugène Ysaÿe
Matthew Rye examines the life of the great performer, conductor, composer and teacher whose full-bodied sound, broad tonal range and impeccable technique stemmed from years of hard practice
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Great violinists: Nicolò Paganini
In a special feature marking The Strad’s 120th anniversary in May 2010, Julian Haylock examined perhaps the greatest violinist of them all