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Making her mark: violinist María Dueñas
Although she’s only 21, the Spanish violinist María Dueñas is already a rapidly rising star in the musical world. Tom Stewart speaks to the young virtuoso about how she has created her own unique and distinctive voice on the instrument
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Creation and evolution: Manchester Collective
Manchester Collective is an ensemble that doesn’t shy away from either transporting its listeners to unexpected places, or embracing change within its own identity. Members including co‑founder and violinist Rakhi Singh talk to David Kettle about the group’s unique philosophy
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A musical smorgasbord: violinist Fabio Biondi on recording Roman’s ‘Assaggi’
Italian violinist Fabio Biondi speaks to Robin Stowell about recording Swedish Baroque composer Johan Helmich Roman’s assaggi – solo musical morsels to whet the appetite
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Geminiani’s scales: a portal to the past
Geminiani’s scale exercises in his seminal 1751 treatise The Art of Playing on the Violin may look puzzlingly random to modern eyes, but violinist Benjamin Shute argues that they can reveal useful insights into the thinking behind performance practice of the time
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‘The lama was a clever performer’ - From the archive: May 1894
T. L. Phipson recounts an impromptu recital by a lama in a remote Mongolian village, on an instrument that, from its description, may have been a morin khuur
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‘Dream big and give yourself time to try things out’ - violinist Tim Kliphuis’s life lessons
The Dutch violinist recalls his journey to discovering his own distinct style and sound
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Postcard from Detroit: Sphinx Competition and SphinxConnect convention
At the Sphinx Competition and SphinxConnect convention, Rita Fernandes experienced an array of inspiring events that went beyond simply addressing diversity in classical music
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Sentimental Work: Christian Poltéra on Ravel’s Sonata for violin and cello
The challenges of Ravel’s Sonata for violin and cello led to a memorable encounter between the Swiss cellist and his childhood hero, Mstislav Rostropovich
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From the archive: Neville Marriner on his musical education
The violinist, chamber music player and conductor was born on this day in 1924. In this excerpt from a 1986 interview, Neville Marriner speaks to Dennis Rooney about his first encounters with violin playing and his early teachers
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Sentimental Work: Elena Urioste on Mel Bonis’s Violin Sonata
The Violin Sonata by French composer Mel Bonis was a revelation for the US-born violinist, revealing both a new sound world and innovative techniques in music writing
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‘She plays like a man’ - From the archive: April 1904
New York correspondent Thomas C. Dawson reports on a performance by Maud Powell and solves a mystery regarding the violins of virtuoso Ede Reményi (1828–98)
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The life and legacy of cellist Boris Pergamenschikow
Russian cellist Boris Pergamenschikow enjoyed an influential career both teaching and playing in Europe after leaving the Soviet Union, before his untimely death twenty years ago. Oskar Falta examines his legacy and hears from some of his former students
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Opinion: why don’t string players practice pizzicato?
Perfecting bowing is a lifelong quest for string players – but what about pizzicato? Cellist Davina Shum advocates setting aside some dedicated practice time to this neglected technique
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Session Report: the Carducci Quartet on recording Shostakovich
As the Carducci Quartet releases its third Shostakovich disc, Tom Stewart hears from the group’s violist and cellist about the extreme contrasts between the two featured pieces – the ninth and fifteenth string quartets
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Violinist Augustin Hadelich: ‘Just let the music speak’
The virtuoso violinist Augustin Hadelich defies categorisation; he is the product of several cultures that he draws on to produce a sound that is distinctly his own. He talks to Ariane Todes about his influences and how he developed his unique musicianship
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Postcard from Beijing: Global Music Education League competition
The first violin edition of the Global Music Education League competition took place in Beijing following a four-year delay due to the pandemic. Emma Baker travelled to China to hear the finals
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Analysis April 2024: Discrimination towards LGBTQ+ musicians
A new report highlights the experience of LGBTQ+ musicians in the UK’s orchestral landscape, revealing that discrimination is still all too common in such environments
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Violinist Joshua Bell: ‘Everybody’s playing like their life depends upon it’
Violinist Joshua Bell chats with Pauline Harding about transcending the pyrotechnics of Paganini, the inspiring ethos of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and celebrations to mark the centenary of the orchestra’s founder, Neville Marriner
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'Your own voice must be in charge': Creating an improvised violin concerto
Can a new work encourage young, classically trained string players to lose their fear of improvisation and find their individual voice? Violinist Christina Åstrand and composer Signe Lykke explain the concept to Andrew Mellor
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‘So don’t sit around and think – go and find your audience!’ - Tai Murray’s life lessons
The US violinist on finding your voice and the transition from student to professional