All Focus articles
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Premium ❘ FocusThe secrets of violinist Dorothy DeLay's teaching methods
Violinist Piet Koornhof witnessed Dorothy DeLay's extraordinary teaching skills as one of her students at the Juilliard School in New York. In 2001 he analysed what made her method so successful
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Spiccato and sautillé - two important bow strokes which are often confused
Making the bow come off the string is a delicate art. Rok Klopčič looks at various approaches
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Conductor Manfred Honeck on achieving his orchestral string sound
Music director Manfred Honeck has brought a distinctly European flavour to the Pittsburgh Symphony. Gavin Dixon asked him how his time as a violist in the Vienna Philharmonic helped him to become the conductor he is today
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How one great family shaped a century of French bow making
Mirecourt’s Émile Auguste Ouchard and his son Bernard are regarded as among the 20th century’s finest bow makers, main characters in a family who created a distinctive style of stick. Writing in The Strad’s December issue, Thomas Martin, Andrew McGill, Martin Lawrence and George Martin focus on Ouchard double bass ...
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Professor Ševčík addresses Strad readers
The Czech violinist and influential teacher passes on words of wisdom to readers of The Strad in February 1912
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Performing entirely by reflex, by cellist Leonid Gorokhov
The Russian musician and Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hannover professor describes how he trains himself to transcend the physical restraints of playing
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How to play with a flexible bowing arm by cellist Gary Hoffman
The American musician explains how he developed a supple and varied bow arm motion, guided by his ear and musical instinct
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Behind the scenes with the New York String Orchestra
The New York String Orchestra Seminar, one of America’s first orchestral training programmes for young musicians, celebrated its 50th anniversary in December 2018. Bruce Hodges attended rehearsals and concerts of the landmark season
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From the Archive: students of today are distracted by fast cars and loud cinema
Albert J Roberts bemoans the pleasure-seeking of the younger generation in The Strad's July 1923 issue, and calls on music teachers not to give up on promoting their art in the face of such competition
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Is repetitive practice a good or a bad thing?
A prolonged, sickening and monotonous repetition of a section of music or the legitimate means of mastering a difficult passage? Joseph O'Doherty weighs up the two sides.
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Beyond Villa-Lobos: the music of Brazil
For many classical enthusiasts Brazilian music can be summed up in the folk-inspired compositions of Villa-Lobos. Naxos’s multivolume series The Music of Brazil is set to broaden awareness, writes Peter Quantrill
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How to develop fourth finger strength
String students often suffer from weakness in the little finger, but this can be overcome, writes James Winram in the Strad's July 1913 issue
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Singing during practice can help improve sound and characterisation
Cellist Laurence Lesser suggests that learning to listen to your voice constructively isn't easy, but it helps to set musical feeling directly into motion
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Violinist David Juritz on overcoming a painful shoulder injury
The London-based instrumentalist was helped by physiotherapy and Pilates
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Ask the Experts: how to deal with a young problem pupil
Four teachers give their thoughts on helping an errant seven-year-old focus on her lessons
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5 tips for viola teachers by Juilliard School professor Michael Tree
How can viola teachers help their students develop into good players? The former Guarneri Quartet violist outlines the most important areas to focus on
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Behind the scenes at the music and wine festival
Burgundy’s Musique Vin festival has quickly grown from its humble origins to encompass a rich diversity of elements, not least first-rate performances from international artists and an instrument loan scheme for young musicians. Charlotte Gardner spoke to those involved in this unique project
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8 ways to vary your vibrato
Tips from The Strad’s archive for varying vibrato speed, width, pressure and direction to produce an infinite range of colour contrasts
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Harnessing breathing to improve your string playing
Breathing naturally is one of the first principles of Alexander teaching - and it's a must for anyone who suffers from stage fright, says Joseph Sanders
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Ask the Experts: choosing a new violin tailpiece
A violinist asks what he should consider when choosing a new tailpiece – from the material used to the weight and shape
