August

We talk to South African cellist and composer Abel Selaocoe and mark the 150th anniversary of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s birth. There’s a look at a project to train young luthiers in Latin America, and we investigate the resources for players hit by injury. Plus bassist Joseph Conyers’ Life Lessons and a Beethoven Masterclass with Kristin Lee.

August 2025 Cover

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From this month's magazine

Abel Selaocoe: I am because we are

South African cellist, singer and composer Abel Selaocoe speaks to Lauren Wesley-Smith about opening up classical spaces, finding his musical identity, and his most recent album – as well as sharing a few pearls of wisdom

Coleridge-Taylor 150: ‘A message of hope and resilience’

August 2025 marks 150 years since the birth of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the British composer and violinist. Bruce Hodges speaks to five leading violinists about what his music means to them

Postcard from France: Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition

At the 2025 edition of the triennial Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, Charlotte Gardner was delighted to hear a dazzlingly high standard of music making

August 2025: Editor’s welcome and contents

The Strad’s editor Emma Baker introduces the August 2025 issue which stars genre-defying South African cellist Abel Selaocoe

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Masterclass: Beethoven Violin Sonata No.9 ‘Kreutzer’, first movement

Capturing the music’s sense of tumultuous energy is key to portraying Beethoven’s unpredictable character in this movement, says violinist Kristin Lee

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Sentimental Work: Nadia Sirota on Hindemith’s Trauermusik

Despite its short length, Hindemith’s Trauermusik was an eye-opening concerto for the US violist, revealing all the possibilities of the instrument’s sound world

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My Space: Zoltán Délczeg’s Budapest workshop

The luthier presents his shop in the Hungarian capital

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Bridge acoustics: the invisible bridge

Is it possible to simulate the effects of bridge adjustment in a computer? Physicist Jim Woodhouse presents the results of a series of experiments to demonstrate the possibilities

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'If you play without mistake I will make you a present' - From the Archive: August 1905

A reminiscence (possibly apocryphal) of the renowned Scottish fiddler Niel Gow (1727–1807), composer of more than 80 dance tunes

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String players and injury: playing through the pain?

Violinist and teacher Philippa Bunting explores the – often extreme – impact that an injury can have on a musician, how the industry is dealing with the issue and what musicians can do to help themselves

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‘Only pursue music because you love it, not to please someone else’ - Joseph Conyers’ life lessons

The US double bassist reflects on his biggest influences and the necessity of leading by example

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Technique: harmonics on the double bass

Théotime Voisin presents strategies for playing clear and clean natural harmonics on the double bass

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Making Matters: Carving each violin part with a CNC machine

Stuart Ross and Paul Boardman explore the possibilities of using a CNC machine to carve each part of a violin, discovering how some stages benefit while others still need a luthier’s hand

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Trade Secrets: Creating neck graft sockets – part two

The second of two articles shows the completion of this intricate and sometimes tricky process

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Session Report: Violinist Rachel Podger on recording Biber sonatas

Violinist Rachel Podger tells Peter Quantrill about her new recording of Biber sonatas, and how the music has both a sense of the unexpected and the power to soothe and delight

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Teaching lutherie in Latin America: sowing the seeds for success

Peter Somerford explores how an instrument repair initiative, set up by the Latin American youth orchestra venture Iberorquestas and violin maker Lionnel Genovart, has grown to create a new generation of luthiers

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Opinion: Strategies for coming back to your instrument

Returning to your instrument after a long break can be dispiriting, says cellist Davina Shum, but it’s important to take it by degrees, have faith in your ability and trust the process

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Analysis August 2025: Prospects for young bow makers, repairers and restorers

With bow making a fixture on the ‘red list’ of endangered crafts in the UK, what’s the outlook for new students looking to become bow makers, repairers and restorers? By Peter Somerford

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In Focus: A 1659 violin by Nicolò Amati

Colin Adamson examines a mid-17th-century violin by the revered Cremonese maker