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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 ❘ 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 ❘ 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
Premium ❘ FeatureLetters from America: 130 years of Hindemith
To mark the 130th anniversary of Paul Hindemith’s birth, Carlos María Solare delves into the composer and violist’s US years and hears from three leading soloists about what his music means to them
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Krysia Osostowicz on Shostakovich’s String Quartet no.15
For the British violinist, Shostakovich’s String Quartet no.15 calls to mind a moving Menuhin rehearsal and her initiation into the Brodsky Quartet
Premium ❘ Feature‘Paganini came up to me gesticulating violently’ - From the archive: November 1905
Author Stephen S. Stratton recounts how a generous gift from Nicolò Paganini revitalised the ailing career of Hector Berlioz
Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: Duets as a teaching tool
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell outlines the reasons why duet playing is an essential tool in one-to-one instrumental teaching
Premium ❘ Focus‘Positivity goes a much longer way than negativity’ - Melissa White’s life lessons
The American violinist on having inspirational tutors, the power of positivity and the need for risk-taking
Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: violinist Chloë Hanslip on recording the Bennett and Duke violin concertos
Violinist Chloë Hanslip chats to Harry White about giving voice to two neglected concertos by 20th-century Broadway composers who were compatriots of George Gershwin
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from Idaho: Sun Valley Music Festival
The Sun Valley Music Festival is a unique experience where visitors can hear free concerts performed by first-rate musicians in a beautiful setting, as Emma Baker discovered
Premium ❘ FeatureThe Calidore Quartet: scaling the summit
Having completed the epic task of recording all of Beethoven’s string quartets, the members of the Calidore Quartet speak to Thomas May about their 15‑year journey from Colburn classmates to international acclaim
Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis November 2025: Youth orchestra engagement programmes
Youth orchestras in the US have come a long way in recent years, with all manner of engagement programmes helping young musicians discover their potential
Premium ❘ FeatureThe greatest storyteller: Itzhak Perlman at 80
As he turns 80, the legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman speaks to Ariane Todes about everything from his stellar career to his teaching ethos, and his approach to social media stardom
Premium ❘ FocusPostcard from California: Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival
Davina Shum travelled to California’s Silicon Valley to sample the intense creative atmosphere of the chamber music festival and educational programme Music@Menlo
Premium ❘ FocusSentimental Work: Rosalind Ventris on Elgar’s Violin Concerto
Early recordings of Elgar’s Violin Concerto opened up a new world of expressive possibilities for the British violist – despite her never having played it
Premium ❘ Feature‘Promenade Concerts have adhered closely to the beaten track’ - From the archive: October 1935
In his monthly ‘Radio Notes’ column, Reid Stewart bemoans the current state of the Proms and the programming habits of the BBC (which had taken them over in 1927)
Premium ❘ FeatureBiber’s Mystery Sonatas: a riddle inside an enigma
Biber’s Mystery Sonatas continue to inspire and fascinate modern violinists, particularly for their unique use of scordatura. Elena Chernova‑Davis examines these cryptic 17th‑century masterpieces
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