- News
- For Subscribers
- Student Hub
- Playing Hub
- Directory
- Lutherie
- Magazine
- Magazine archive
- Whether you're a player, maker, teacher or enthusiast, you'll find ideas and inspiration from leading artists, teachers and luthiers in our archive which features every issue published since January 2010 - available exclusively to subscribers. View the archive.
- Jobs
- Shop
- Podcast
- Contact us
- Subscribe
- School Subscription
- Competitions
- Reviews
- Debate
- Artists
- Accessories
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
Premium ❘ Feature‘Truly there were giants in those days’ - From the archive: July 1906
Author and violin maker John Broadhouse reviews the memoirs of British violinist George Haddock (1823–1907), a treasure trove of stories of 19th-century players
![[hasnt been used much] G Hoffman - photo William Beaucardet - a](https://dnan0fzjxntrj.cloudfront.net/Pictures/415x277/0/2/9/44029_hasntbeenusedmuchghoffmanphotowilliambeaucardeta_116713_crop.jpg)
Premium ❘ Focus‘Create a philosophy about what you do as a musician’ - Gary Hoffman’s life lessons
The US–Canadian cellist on Janós Starker and his other formative influences, and on finding authenticity
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Maja Bogdanović on Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto no.1
Learning Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto no.1 was a formative experience for the Serbian cellist, and the piece has been a mainstay of her repertoire ever since
Premium ❘ FeatureMindfulness for musicians: awareness is everything
Incorporating a mindful attitude into our music practice and performance, and into everyday life, brings many benefits. Berenice Beverley Zammit explores its transformative potential
Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: viola da gamba player Caroline Nicolas on recording early-Baroque French music
Canadian viola da gamba player Caroline Nicolas tells Charlotte Gardner about recording her intimate and meditative debut solo album of early-Baroque French music
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Liya Petrova on the Walton Violin Concerto
William Walton’s Violin Concerto is a firm favourite in the Bulgarian violinist’s repertoire – even though she had only two weeks to learn it
Premium ❘ FeatureHidden treasures: Charles Wood string quartets
To mark the centenary year of the composer’s death, Jeremy Dibble explores Charles Wood’s six string quartets, in which his Irish background and meticulous craft found their most personal expression
Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: Why memorisation is so vital
Cellist Hannah Roberts reflects on the value of memorising music, and why developing this skill can deepen understanding and strengthen communication in performance
Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis July 2026: Issues with non-disclosure agreements
A case in Canada has put the problem of non-disclosure agreements for musicians in the spotlight. What recourse do artists have when presented with an NDA form?
Premium ❘ FeatureFrançois Rabbath at 95: a legacy of freedom
To mark the 95th birthday of the great double bassist François Rabbath, Naomi Yandell hears from some of his former students about what they have learnt from the distinguished musician, and how they continue to be influenced by his approach
Premium ❘ FeatureGünter Pichler: 1940–2026
The first violinist of the Alban Berg Quartet was also a sought-after conductor and pedagogue. Tully Potter looks back at his life and legacy
![[defs use this] CelebrationByDAddario_388 pc Denny Medley Random Photography](https://dnan0fzjxntrj.cloudfront.net/Pictures/415x277/5/0/9/43509_defsusethiscelebrationbydaddario_388pcdennymedleyrandomphotography_776141_crop.jpg)
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from San Francisco: ASTA 2026 national conference
The 2026 American String Teachers Association National Conference was a bustling and inspiring event packed full of talks and performances, as Rita Fernandes and Davina Shum discovered
Premium ❘ FeaturePierre Fournier: In quest of higher truth
Born 120 years ago this June, Pierre Fournier emerged as one of the 20th century’s most influential cellists. Oskar Falta traces his life, artistry and complex legacy, and hears from two of his former pupils
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Laura van der Heijden on Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet
Rehearsing Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet in F sharp minor with the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective was a memorable experience for the cellist
Keep informed
