All Focus articles – Page 5
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FocusAsk the Experts: protecting your instrument in hot and humid temperatures
Four luthiers and restorers advise a musician on how to care for her instrument during the hot summer months. From August 2014
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FocusPractice diary: cellist Jan Vogler
The German cellist gets to grips with gut strings, Schumann, Elgar and Kabalevsky. From April 2016
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FocusMy experience: violinist Salomé Bonnema, Royal Conservatoire The Hague
’It’s a very nice place to study, where you’re supported and safe, and can do whatever you want,’ says the violinist
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Focus11 stretching exercises for musicians
Do you feel tired and stiff after performing? Pilates instructor John Black explains how some simple stretching exercises can make all the difference
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FocusAsk the experts: What should a luthier look for when choosing tonewood?
For a beginner luthier, choosing the perfect spruce and maple for an instrument can be a confusing process. Three experts in wood selection offer some guidelines
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FocusMy Experience: violinist Louisa Staples, Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin
’I think Berlin is one of the best places for a young person to be right now,’ says the violinist
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FocusA Gagliano and a Strad: the violins of Maria Dueñas
Our May 2024 cover star discusses the tools of her trade with Tom Stewart
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FocusMy experience: violist Ariel Postmus, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Perth
’It helped me become a multifaceted musician, able to play so many different musical genres,’ says the violist
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FocusCellist Boris Pergamenschikow on his early days as a student
Boris Pergamenschikow prizes his teachers for their emphasis on gradual learning, in this interview from the September 2000 issue of The Strad
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FocusThe Strad Podcast #115: designing your own musical education as an adult learner with violinist Julia Reddy
How can adult students gain musical enrichment beyond the practice room? The violinist, teacher and podcaster shares her strategies
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FocusThe Strad Podcast Episode #57: Augustin Hadelich on Recuerdos and Ricochet
Enjoy some ’R&R’: the violinist speaks about his new album, as well as a particularly tricky bowing technique
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FocusPractice Diary: The Escher Quartet
Second violinist Aaron Boyd discusses a rehearsal of Mendelssohn’s String Quartet no.4
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FocusThe Strad Podcast #114: exploring resources and finding your teaching style with cellist Guy Johnston
The cellist speaks about how resources left by renowned ‘cello gods,’ as well as fostering a community of sharing has informed his teaching methods throughout his career
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FocusBorn on this day: cellist Mstislav Rostropovich
Today we’re shining a light on the titan of cello playing, who was born on 27 March 1927
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FocusBorn on this day: Violinist Otakar Ševčík
Happy birthday! Read about the legendary violinist and pedagogue that influenced string players worldwide
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FocusThe Strad Podcast #113: Uncovering Ysaÿe’s lost works with violinist Philippe Graffin
The violinist speaks about his efforts to bring Ysaÿe’s Poème concertant into the limelight
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FocusNew in at The Strad Shop: The Best of Trade Secrets 6
The Strad’s latest collection of articles on all aspects of stringed instrument making and restoration
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FocusLaurence Lesser’s musical heroes: a playlist
Cellist Laurence Lesser shares some influential recordings from legendary artists that have impacted his six-decade-long career, which he has recently outlined in the March 2024 issue of The Strad
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FocusWho was violinist Alma Moodie?
Australian-born violinist Alma Moodie was a celebrated performer in her day – a protégée of Carl Flesch who collaborated with many leading composers. However, her contribution to the violin canon has been largely forgotten, writes Tatjana Goldberg
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FocusThe Strad Podcast #112: making musical choices with violist and composer Jessica Meyer
Believing the word ’improvisation’ to be a scary word for many classical musicians, Jessica calls for a simpler approach that will help musicians interpret both their own and others’ music
