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Premium ❘ Focus‘It is through your intellectual understanding that you can find the magical points in the music’ - Miriam Fried’s life lessons
The US–Israeli violinist on her unique upbringing and career, and what it takes to master a piece
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Cho-liang Lin on the Sibelius Violin Concerto
The Sibelius Violin Concerto holds incredible memories for the Taiwanese–American violinist, from studying with Dorothy DeLay to meeting Eugene Ormandy
Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: Richard Tognetti on recording Schoenberg, Vasks and Silvestrov with the Australian Chamber Orchestra
Violinist Richard Tognetti speaks to David Kettle about the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s latest album, which features music both new and familiar that is united by themes of remembrance and reflection
Premium ❘ FeatureMasterclass: Bach Violin Concerto in E major BWV1042, third movement
Julian Rachlin shines a light on this joyful movement comprising a satisfying musical architecture that alternates between anchoring refrains and exploratory soloistic episodes
Premium ❘ FeatureFinding the groove: Steve Reich at 90
How do string players make Steve Reich’s meticulously crafted music come alive? To celebrate the US composer’s 90th birthday, leading performers of his works share their insights with Pwyll ap Siôn
Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis November 2026: Hearing loss in professional musicians
A recent study has shown that one in four musicians has reported some form of hearing loss. Peter Somerford looks at what measures classical players can take to mitigate the risks.
Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: the third ear
The most important musical ear a string player can develop might be the one that they can never physically possess themselves, says violinist, violist and teacher Alex Laing
Premium ❘ FeatureSterling Elliott: coming full circle
The American cellist speaks with Lauren Wesley-Smith about his journey as a musician, the formative influence of the Sphinx Organization and finding his own voice in the digital age
Premium ❘ FeatureChop and change: 60 years of the chop technique
As the chop technique turns 60, Rita Fernandes tracks its evolution and the recent development of its notation in interviews with leading practitioners – as well as learning the technique herself
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Rhode Island: Newport Classical Music Festival
At the Newport Classical Music Festival, Rita Fernandes heard a variety of captivating performances against the elegant backdrop of a New England summer resort
Premium ❘ FeatureWilliam Primrose shares his thoughts with The Strad - From the archive: October 1936
The star violist William Primrose proves himself a devotee of The Strad, as he gives his thoughts on some points raised by correspondents in the Letters page
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Pablo Ferrández on Dvořák’s Cello Concerto
Learning Dvořák’s Cello Concerto was a seminal part of the Spanish cellist’s musical development – and his interpretation is still evolving now
Premium ❘ Focus‘We should all treasure our differences’ - Simone Lamsma’s life lessons
The Dutch violinist on building independence and balancing a busy life and career
Premium ❘ FeatureA Korean wave: Korean string playing
South Korea has become a powerhouse of string playing, producing soloists, orchestral leaders and chamber musicians who are making their mark worldwide. Peter Somerford explores the educational and cultural forces behind that success
Premium ❘ FeatureThe intersection of two rivers: the violin in China
How did a European instrument become part of China’s musical identity? Violinist Xin Jin charts more than three centuries of the violin’s development in Chinese culture, from its arrival with Western missionaries to the flourishing repertoire of today
Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: Violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley on recording his Fidl-Fantazye klezmer concerto
Noah Bendix-Balgley, first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, speaks to Harry White about recording his self-penned klezmer concerto Fidl-Fantazye live on the Philharmonie stage
Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis October 2026: Orchestral concerts in record summer heat
The numerous heatwaves that took place across Europe this summer affected all kinds of cultural events – with orchestras suffering just as much, if not more, from the scorching weather
Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: Playing with accompanists early on
Piano accompaniment is too often treated as an afterthought in teaching. Violinist Sendi Vartanovi argues that string students learn more effectively when collaboration begins from day one
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Canada: Montreal International Music Competition
Rita Fernandes reports from the 2026 violin edition of the Montreal International Music Competition, which integrated new features while retaining its traditionally world-class level
Premium ❘ Feature‘Love what you do’: Antje Weithaas
Violinist Antje Weithaas talks to Pauline Harding about her varied career in teaching, performance and, most recently, conducting, which is carrying her in new and exciting directions as she approaches her 60th birthday
Premium ❘ Focus‘Your first instrument is your body’ - Matthew Jones’s life lessons
The Welsh violist and violinist and head of chamber music at Guildhall School of Music & Drama on his teaching approach and unconventional journey
Premium ❘ FeatureHenry Saint-George on performing in New Zealand - From the archive: September 1916
In his column ‘Fiddling About: A record of many wanderings’, violinist and author Henry Saint-George recalls his experiences of playing in New Zealand
Premium ❘ FeatureThe practice principle: how I practise
Musicians spend thousands of hours practising but the questions about how to do it most efficiently never go away. Four leading string players share their insights with David Kettle and reveal their individual, and sometimes surprising, approaches to practice
Premium ❘ FeatureBeyond the breakthrough: young artists’ programmes
Today’s young artists’ schemes serve very different purposes. Hattie Butterworth explores how programmes ranging from mentoring academies to career trusts and performance platforms support string players at different stages of their early careers
Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: How community teaching can inspire all teachers
Nabile Galván outlines how community-based teaching can inform all educators, no matter where they teach
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Amihai Grosz on Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata
Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata was one of the first pieces the Israeli violist learnt after switching to the viola – and the work has been close to his heart ever since
Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte on recording ‘Le Violon de Rameau’
Théotime Langlois de Swarte tells Harry White how Le Violon de Rameau, his new album with William Christie, restores the violin to the heart of the composer’s musical world
Premium ❘ FeatureJuilliard Quartet at 80: lines of inquiry
As the Juilliard Quartet celebrates its 80th anniversary, its members speak to Thomas May about teaching, rehearsal‑room disagreement, new commissions and the essential questions that keep the ensemble’s tradition alive
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Brussels: Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition
A week of high-stakes performances and exacting repertoire marked this year’s Queen Elisabeth Competition cello final, as Davina Shum discovered
Premium ❘ Feature‘Let it happen’: Kató Havas’s teaching philosophies
Kató Havas’s teaching remains widely admired but is still often misunderstood. Clifford Hall revisits the debates around her methods to reveal a more nuanced picture of her legacy
Premium ❘ FeatureBach Cello Suites: inspired by Bach’s feet
Could Bach’s experience as an organist have influenced his decision to write the Cello Suites? Markus Rathey examines the role that pedal technique may have had in the creation of these revolutionary works
Premium ❘ Focus‘Great principals serve their section for the good of the music’ - Scott Pingel’s life lessons
The US principal bassist on his approach to practice and what makes an effective leader
Premium ❘ Feature‘For public solo playing there are none to equal Stradivarius violins’ - From the archive: August 1896
British violinist John Dunn (1866–1940) gives a few thoughts on what makes a great violinist, as well as instruments suitable for an amateur player
Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: cellist Alban Gerhardt on recording the Dvořák and Elgar concertos
German cellist Alban Gerhardt tells Jessica Duchen about challenging entrenched performance habits and returning to the composers’ markings in his recordings of the Dvořák and Elgar concertos
Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: Theatre improv games in teacher training
Actors’ improvisation games should also be used for training string teachers to help strengthen their in-the-moment communication skills, says violinist and teacher Carmen Lasceski-Custers
Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis August 2026: The Sphinx Organization thirty years on
Three decades since its creation, the Sphinx Organization has helped countless Black and Latino musicians in their musical careers. But how much has the landscape changed in that time?
Premium ❘ FeatureBrett Dean: the music from within
Australian composer and violist Brett Dean has long drawn on his experience from playing inside the orchestra to shape his own music. He tells Jessica Duchen about how his writing and playing continue to inform each other
Premium ❘ FeatureJordi Savall: connections beyond words
The Catalan gambist and conductor Jordi Savall speaks with Michael White about his six decades of music making, the ideals that have guided his work and the future of the early music world he helped to shape
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from California: Ojai Music Festival
Esa-Pekka Salonen’s California homecoming created a dialogue between European modernism and American experiment, as Thomas May discovered
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