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Premium ❘ FeatureFrank Peter Zimmermann: ‘Music that possesses you’
Frank Peter Zimmermann is one of the first German musicians to record Elgar’s emotionally charged Violin Concerto, in a new release with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He speaks with Thomas Eisner, a first violinist with the LPO, about bringing the work to life
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Mihaela Martin on the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
For the Romanian violinist and pedagogue, learning the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor was a formative experience, and one that all students should have the chance to enjoy
Premium ❘ FeatureTales of bassist Domenico Dragonetti - From the archive: March 1906
To mark the 60th anniversary of the death of Domenico Dragonetti, The Strad recalls some incidents from the legendary Italian bassist’s life
Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: the Neave Trio on recording Chaminade, Pejačević, and Clara Schumann
The musicians of the US-based Neave Trio speak to Hattie Butterworth about their latest recording, which champions the varied music of three female composers
Premium ❘ Focus‘The spirit of debate is extremely important in a quartet’ - Edward Dusinberre’s life lessons
The British violinist on developing your own voice and putting things in perspective
Premium ❘ FeatureHarness your superpower: self-efficacy for adult learners
Cellist and teacher Billy Tobenkin reveals how adult learners of stringed instruments can improve their sense of self‑efficacy, thus helping themselves to achieve their goals
Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: why string players should pay attention to large muscle groups
Fleet fingers may be the ultimate goal for string players, but it’s the larger muscle groups that form the foundations of solid technique, says cellist Davina Shum
Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis March 2026: Persistent issues with secondary ticketing
As secondary ticketing websites continue to rake in vast profits, a group of affected parties are calling on the EU to take action at long last
Premium ❘ FeatureNemanja Radulović: music in the moment
Charismatic Serbian violinist Nemanja Radulović chats to Charlotte Gardner about the importance of artistic freedom and musical friendships, and recording his latest album of music by Prokofiev
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Geneva: Concours de Genève viola competition
At the 2025 Concours de Genève, which marked the viola’s return to the competition after two decades, Rita Fernandes discovered the unique artistic personalities of the new generation
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Orin O’Brien on Stravinsky’s ballet Orpheus
Playing the score for Stravinsky’s ballet Orpheus was a formative experience for the American double bassist in the years before she joined the New York Philharmonic
Premium ❘ FeatureYsaÿe recounts his WW1 exile - From the archive: February 1916
Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, living in exile in London during World War I, tells writer B. Henderson how he escaped from his homeland in 1914
Premium ❘ Focus‘Constant questioning makes life so beautiful’ - Nicolas Altstaedt’s life lessons
The German cellist on developing an intuitive understanding of music, and the importance of constant exploration
Premium ❘ FeatureNot just the greatest showpiece: Paganini’s Fifth Caprice
Do we have the wrong impression of Paganini’s famously flashy Fifth Caprice? Violinist Benjamin Shute believes so. He discusses why we should think more carefully about performance practice, especially the infamous ricochet bow
Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: cellist Steven Isserlis on recording sonatas by Schumann and Moscheles
Cellist Steven Isserlis chats to Peter Quantrill about his new recording of sonatas by Schumann and Moscheles, both written in 1851 during a period that marked a great flourishing of the arts
Premium ❘ FeatureFrom sword to bow: Marczi Zöldy
The young Hungarian soldier who became known as virtuoso violinist Marczi Zöldy at the turn of the 20th century was skilled in many areas, not least as a musician and a fencer. Grzegorz Kaproń tells his eventful, colourful life story
Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: SongHa Choi on ‘aura’ in live performance
In an age of instant digital access to recorded music, violinist SongHa Choi still believes that nothing can compare to the experience of a live performance
Premium ❘ FeaturePromise and possibility: the Isidore Quartet
The Isidore Quartet players tell Pauline Harding about their sudden propulsion into professional string quartet playing, a beloved mentor whose loss has inspired their debut album, and their emotionally raw collaboration with the composer Billy Childs
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Genoa: Premio Paganini Competition
Janet Banks visited north-west Italy for the finals of the 58th Premio Paganini Competition, where three young violinists contended for the top prize and a chance to play the famous ‘Il Cannone’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’
Premium ❘ FeaturePaganini Quartet: When the stars aligned
The Paganini Quartet was formed 80 years ago in Los Angeles, named after the four Stradivari instruments in its members’ charge. Tully Potter looks at the group’s dazzling but relatively short career
Premium ❘ Focus‘It always comes back to listening to others’ - Alasdair Tait’s life lessons
The Scottish cellist and chief executive of Young Classical Artists Trust on communication and creativity
Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: Creating a musical environment
Suzuki pedagogue Helen Brunner considers the importance of preparing the environment for young learners, and why we should surround our children with music from the start
Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: Violinist Ning Feng on recording the Goldmark and Brahms violin concertos
Violinist Ning Feng speaks to Harry White about recording two contrasting 19th-century concertos – Goldmark’s First and Brahms’s mighty warhorse – and how he strives to serve the voice of the composer above all
Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis January 2026: The plight of UK recording studios
An industry body has launched a campaign to help the UK’s recording studios, which have been hard hit by the cost-of-living crisis. What can be done to sustain them?
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Timothy Ridout on Brahms’s Viola Sonata no.2
Learning Brahms’s Viola Sonata no.2 in E flat major was a revelation for the British violist – with the help of 17 different recordings from his teacher
Premium ❘ FeatureStanding on great shoulders: the Lakatos dynasty
The Lakatos family has long been synonymous with Gypsy violin playing. Erika Nyerges looks at the key figures of this generations-old musical dynasty, meeting Sándor Déki Lakatos along the way and discovering what it takes to become a Roma musician
Premium ❘ FeatureStella Chen: a bright future
The American violinist chats with Rebecca Franks about her philosophy of playing and teaching, studying at Harvard, her experience of winning the Queen Elisabeth Competition and her new album, which marks a fresh chapter in her career
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Munich: Hindemith International Viola Competition
Carlos María Solare reports from the wide-ranging and eventful second edition of the Hindemith International Viola Competition
Premium ❘ FeatureMasterclass: Brahms Cello Sonata no.1 in E minor op.38, third movement
This fugal final movement requires elements of restraint where climaxes must be managed carefully, says cellist Steffan Morris
Premium ❘ FeatureString performer reviews during the First World War - From the Archive: December 1915
Despite the limitations caused by World War I, London still saw fine performances by Eugène Ysaÿe, Guilhermina Suggia and Albert Sammons among others
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Sol Gabetta on Servais’ Souvenir de Spa
As well as being a 19th-century masterpiece, the Souvenir de Spa by Adrien-François Servais helped the Argentine cellist discover the sound world of the pioneering musician Lise Cristiani
Premium ❘ FeatureAmaryllis Fleming: A life less ordinary
To mark a hundred years since the birth of Amaryllis Fleming in December 1925, Oskar Falta takes a look at the British cellist’s colourful life and influential career, and hears from one of her pupils – Raphael Wallfisch
Premium ❘ FeatureThe mindful hands: creative health for musicians
Pedro de Alcantara considers a playful yet philosophical approach to boosting health for the curious musician, and suggests some novel arm, wrist, hand and finger exercises for string players
Premium ❘ Focus‘What we do is a miraculous connection to others’ - Peter Sheppard Skærved’s life lessons
The British violinist on a musician’s duty and the importance of community
Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: How a performing career and teaching work hand in hand
Can performers sustain their own careers while also teaching students at a high level? Violinist Irina Rostomashvili believes it is not only possible, but essential
Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: Cellist Gautier Capuçon on recording new album ‘Gaïa’
Cellist Gautier Capuçon tells Charlotte Gardner about his new album, Gaïa, which features a climate change-inspired programme showcasing 17 new works by 16 composers
Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis December 2025: How will AI transform the music industry?
When ChatGPT launched in November 2022, few people realised the seismic effect it would have on the creative industries – least of all musicians. What could the worst-case scenario be?
![[1st prize] Poiesis Quartet in round 3 (2)](https://dnan0fzjxntrj.cloudfront.net/Pictures/415x277/1/9/5/41195_1stprizepoiesisquartetinround32_547631.jpg)
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Canada: Banff International String Quartet Competition
At the Banff International String Quartet Competition, Rita Fernandes heard some of today’s top young ensembles, each with its own personality
Premium ❘ FeatureA youthful spirit: violinist Johan Dalene
The young Swedish violin virtuoso Johan Dalene speaks to Jessica Duchen about his evolution as a musician, his passion for contemporary music and his latest album that pairs the Bruch and Mendelssohn concertos
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