All Focus articles
-
FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: 1717 ‘Windsor, Weinstein’ Stradivari violin
The first Stradivari violin to be given to the Canada Council’s Musical Instrument Bank, it remains in top-class condition
-
Focus‘Planting seeds for my relationship with music’ - Hilary Hahn and the Suzuki method
As a former Suzuki student, violinist Hilary Hahn shares her earliest memories of lessons and how they shaped her into the musician she is now
-
FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: 1730 ‘Newland’ Giovanni Francesco Celoniato cello
One of only eight cellos known to be made by the Turin-based luthier, it is named after Canadian cellist Christine Newland
-
FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: 1820 Giovanni Francesco Pressenda violin
Possibly the first instrument ever made by Pressenda, it boasts a two-piece back of slightly burled quarter-cut maple
-
Focus‘Not bad’ meant ‘Very, very good!’: what was Leonid Kogan like as a violin teacher?
The distinguished French violinist and quartet leader Isabelle Flory studied with Leonid Kogan at the Moscow Conservatoire for three years. She shares her memories of his teaching methods
-
FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: c.1696 ‘Bonjour’ Antonio Stradivari cello
A beautiful instrument with plentiful red–brown varnish, it has been played by Robert Cohen, Martin Lovett and others
-
FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: 1747 ‘Palmason’ Gennaro Gagliano violin
Named for Canadian violinist Pearl Palmason, the violin has a back of one piece of maple with broad figure
-
FocusGreat string players of the past: Gary Karr on Sergey Koussevitzky
Gary Karr shares a spooky connection with double bassist Sergey Koussevitzky, in this article from October 2013
-
FocusThe Strad Calendar 2025: 1824 ‘McConnell’ Nicolò Gagliano II cello
A rare cello by the least prolific member of the Neapolitan family, the ‘McConnell’ has a two piece back of slab-cut poplar
-
FocusThe 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
-
FocusThe 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
-
FocusThe 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
-
FocusThe 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
-
FocusThe 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
-
FocusThe 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
-
FocusThe 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
-
FocusThe 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
-
FocusThe 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
-
FocusThe 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
-
FocusSentimental 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
