February

We examine an uncut 1642 cello by Nicolò Amati and talk to the members of the Isidore Quartet. There’s a look at preparing the ground coat pre-varnish and Benjamin Shute explores Paganini’s Fifth Caprice. Plus Orin O’Brien’s Sentimental Work and Life Lessons with Nicolas Altstaedt.

February 2026 Cover

To access the digital edition and archive of digital issues
back to January 2010 you need to subscribe.

If you have a subscription .

Subscribe
BUY THIS MAGAZINE

From this month's magazine

Seven, they are seven: Nicolò Amati cello 1642

One of only seven known cellos by Nicolò Amati, this 1642 example is in an excellent state of preservation. Alberto Giordano examines its history and provenance, while Barthélemy Garnier discovers what its condition can tell us about the old Cremonese working methods, and Francesco Piasentini discusses CT-scanning the cello

Promise 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

Postcard 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’