All Focus articles – Page 38
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FocusTechnique: Crawl, walk, run
Bass player Danny Ziemann illustrates how to build an improvised solo line from a simple bass accompaniment
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FocusPaul Silverthorne: Life Lessons
The principal violist of the London Sinfonietta on the importance of reassessing our musical opinions and the necessity of rethinking music education
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FocusSteven Isserlis shares his memories of cellist Marius May
‘A soloist’s career didn’t suit him, but those of us who attended his concerts will never forget them’
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Focus‘Working without a conductor gives us a more direct connection with our collaborators’ – 12 Ensemble
The artistic directors of the string chamber orchestra, 12 Ensemble, explain how their conscientious approach to rehearsing chamber music has paid dividends when working with musicians from other artistic backgrounds
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FocusHow to nurture a musical prodigy
Early public exposure and adulation can overwhelm highly gifted youngsters. Catherine Nelson talks to expert teachers about how they help prodigies cope
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FocusLuis Cabrera: How to play transcriptions on the double bass
To coincide with the launch of his new album, the double bassist considers some ways of approaching transcriptions on his instrument
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FocusBomsori: ‘The mentality at Juilliard was so different from what I was used to in Korea’
The South Korean violinist talks to Andrew Mellor about studying in the US and her experience so far of life as a professional soloist
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Focus‘His interpretation has never been equalled here’ – violinist Joseph White’s 1875 New York debut
Cuban-born violinist Joseph White’s 1875 debut with the Philharmonic Society of New York was both a triumph and enormously significant – as the orchestra’s first performance with a soloist of African descent. Yavet Boyadjiev explores the event itself and the circumstances surrounding it
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FocusChevalier de Saint-Georges: violin virtuoso, composer, champion fencer and French revolutionary officer
This month we’re remembering musical groundbreakers, including violinist Joseph White, whose debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1875 made history as the first time a black soloist had appeared with that orchestra. Read about White’s historic debut in our June 2021 issue. The ...
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Focus‘Practise difficult passages while standing on a rickety chair, or spinning around in circles’ – Evan Wilson
The former principal violist of the LA Philharmonic shares ideas to help you improve strength, endurance, flexibilty and control
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Focus‘It doesn’t sound like three instruments but a hundred’ – Sitkovetsky Trio
For the Sitkovetsky Trio, the challenge of recording Ravel’s Piano Trio was combining three disparate solo voices to sound as one – but the reward was a performance far greater than the sum of its parts, the players tell Tom Stewart
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Focus‘If my cello could talk’ – by John-Henry Crawford
The American cellist shares the story of his cello - one linked with the history of his family, and their experience as Jews living in Austria during the Second World War
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FocusBomsori: Professional life is a lot harder than endless competitions
The South Korean violinist talks to Andrew Mellor about competitions and her experience so far of life as a professional solo violinist
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FocusSatu Vӓnskӓ: Life Lessons
The Finnish principal violin of the Australian Chamber Orchestra discusses the importance of cultivating one’s curiosity and taking risks
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FocusSentimental Work: Carolin Widmann
For the German violinist, Schubert’s Fantasy in C major is a transcendental experience – and not just because of its myriad technical challenges
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FocusWhat can musicians learn from working with dancers?
Pauline Harding attends workshops, talks to early music specialists and pioneering modern players, and discovers a whole new approach to interpreting classical music
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Focus‘He turned to me, a mere 22-year-old student, and asked my opinion’ – Julian Lloyd Webber on Pierre Fournier
In celebration of his 70th birthday last month, British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber shares memories with Julian Haylock of some of the cellists who shaped him
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FocusHow I repaired a cello splattered with hand sanitiser
When a cello suffered a calamitous hand sanitiser accident, it looked irreparable at first sight. John Simmers explains how he restored it to the way it was pre-Covid
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FocusHow should we articulate early music on modern instruments?
How to use Baroque bow techniques to build variety, lightness and flow into every phrase
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FocusEasing back into performance post Covid-19
Berenice Beverley Zammit, Graduate Teaching Assistant for Music Performance Psychology at the Royal College of Music, gives guidance on getting back into practice after a year of lockdown
