- News
- For Subscribers
- Education Hub
- Podcast
- Playing Hub
- 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
- Directory
- Contact us
- Subscribe
- Reviews
- Debate
- Artists
- Accessories
The Strad Podcast Episode #60: Nemanja Radulović on ‘Roots’
The violinist speaks about playing world music, as well as his musical path and heroes in Serbia
The Strad Podcast Episode #59: Charlie Siem on Beethoven
The violinist shares what Beethoven means to him, as well as how he approaches performance nerves and unidiomatic writing
The Strad Podcast Episode #58: Bjarte Eike on the Playhouse Sessions
High-risk creativity, fearlessness, and booze are just some of the ingredients for an exciting, immersive show experience
The Strad Podcast Episode #57: Augustin Hadelich on Recuerdos and Ricochet
Enjoy some ’R&R’: the violinist speaks about his new album, as well as a particularly tricky bowing technique
The Strad Podcast Episode #56: Richard Markson on teaching tone and sound
‘You have to hear in your mind a sound that you want to make’
The Strad Podcast Episode #55: Time For Three on triple concertos
Violinists Nick Kendall and Charles Yang, and double bassist Ranaan Meyer speak about triple concerto commissions, plus their favourite string techniques
The Strad Podcast Episode #54: Timothy Chooi on playing Strads
The violinist has been lucky enough to play two Stradivari violins since 2015: the 1717 ’Windsor-Weinstein’ and the 1709 ‘Engelman’
The Strad Podcast Episode #53: David Finckel and Wu Han on creating inspiration
‘It’s not only making music together, but also contributing your life to the common good of society’
The Strad Podcast Episode #52: Carolin Widmann on 1000 years of violin repertoire
Repertoire covering over a millennium by a diverse set of composers has more in common than at first glance, says violinist Carolin Widmann
The Strad Podcast Episode #51: John-Henry Crawford on Latin American music
The cellist speaks about the parallels between language and music, as well as exploring new sound worlds in his new album Corazón
The Strad Podcast Episode #50: Itamar Zorman on violin globetrotting
The Strad’s 50th podcast episode celebrates violin repertoire from around the world
The Strad Podcast Episode #49: Zina Schiff and Avlana Eisenberg on mother and daughter collaboration
The violin/conductor mother and daughter team speak about working together on their new album of works by William Grant Still
The Strad Podcast Episode #48: Noah Bendix-Balgley on performing under pressure as a concertmaster
Yes, the Scheherazade and Ein Heldenleben solos are nerve-wracking for everybody…
The Strad Podcast Episode #47: Korinthia Klein on basic instrument maintenance
‘When you’re armed with good knowledge, you can make better decisions’
The Strad Podcast Episode #46: Billy Tobenkin on starting the cello at 25
’I encourage adults that I encounter to dream bigger than you would imagine’
The Strad Podcast Episode #45: The New Zealand String Quartet on its 35th anniversary
‘Make sure the music is first and the ego last’ - words of advice from the long-standing ensemble
The Strad Podcast Episode #44: Amit Peled on playing in cello choirs
The cellist speaks about the educational and professional benefits of playing in a massed ensemble
The Strad Podcast Episode #43: Jan Vogler on music festivals
’They celebrate music, they celebrate friendship, they celebrate communication between different cultures’
The Strad Podcast Episode #42: Kerenza Peacock on environmental awareness and musical connection
‘A violin was once a tree’ - the violinist speaks about the connection musicians have with the environment, as well as using music to drive environmental and social awareness
The Strad Podcast Episode #41: Ani Aznavoorian on Armenian music
’It’s our way of maintaining our culture and paying it forward to the next generation’
The Strad Podcast Episode #40: Naomi Yandell on teaching beginner bow holds
A must-listen episode for anyone flummoxed by the tricky concept of teaching new string players how to hold a bow
The Strad Podcast Episode #39: Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington on musical activism
’I didn’t have a choice, I had to play that piece’ - Kronos Quartet’s founding violinist on using music to speak out against injustice, as well as giving a voice to the voiceless
The Strad Podcast Episode #38: Eldbjørg Hemsing on Norwegian music
The violinist outlines the history of classical and folk music in Norway and illustrates her sentimentality behind the sound of her home country
The Strad Podcast Episode #37: Paris Andrew from Women in Lutherie
’It feels good to have a space where women can be talking about issues. It can feel comforting, but at the same time, it’s infuriating how many of these stories we come across’
The Strad Podcast Episode #36: Coco Tomita on forging a solo career during the pandemic
The young violinist shares her experiences of the last two years, as well as the time she was lucky enough to play on a Stradivari violin
The Strad Podcast Episode #35: Philippe Quint on new ways to programme music
’We’re going through an incredible renaissance of invention’
The Strad Podcast Episode #34: Maria Ioudenitch on her competition success
The winner of both the Tibor Varga and Joseph Joachim International Violin Competitions in 2021 reflects on a successful year
The Strad Podcast Episode #33: Louise Lansdown and Njabulo Nxumalo on the Arco project
Founder Louise Lansdown speaks about the mission behind the project, while student double bassist Njabulo Nxumalo shares his first-hand experiences of learning music under the scheme
The Strad Podcast Episode #32: Rachel Barton Pine and Billy Childs on a new violin concerto
’If our violin concertos were only written by violinists, we’d get things that were very idiomatic, but perhaps never transcending that. It broadens our perspective’
The Strad Podcast Episode #31: Nils Mönkemeyer on Mozart Sinfonia Concertante
The violist speaks about the spontaneity and openness of performing a work that is part solo and part chamber music, as well as what he really thinks about playing the viola part scordatura
The Strad Podcast Episode #30: Sean Lee on performing Paganini Caprices
’It’s sort of like going to the gym: you show up, you do your workout, you recover and you come back a bit stronger’
The Strad Podcast Episode #29: Julia Fischer on Mozart Violin Concertos
‘I played the first movement of the G major concerto in the Philharmonie in Munich when I was eight’
The Strad Podcast Episode #28: Alexandra Conunova on losing her Guadagnini violin
Conunova’s violin was seized by customs officials at Chișinău airport in October 2021. She shares what happened on that day, as well as how she finally managed to get the instrument back after two months
The Strad Podcast Episode #27: Kian Soltani on Shostakovich Cello Concerto no.1
’You’ve got to be in shape to play this piece. You have to have the courage to not give everything right away’
The Strad Podcast Episode #26: Alun Thomas on Alexander Technique
’We need to find a way of getting out of our own way, to stop the things that we don’t need’
The Strad Podcast Episode #25: Leia Zhu on performance and outreach
’It’s very exciting to be able to bring the live experience to the community. Hopefully they have a great time and fall in love with classical music!’
The Strad Podcast Episode #24: Caroline Pether on the joy of playing in chamber orchestras
‘The clue is in the name, really - it’s big chamber music’
The Strad Podcast Episode #23: Pablo Ferrández on Classical cello concertos
’When I’m playing these pieces, I imagine big gestures, a lot of gravity that brings you from one impulse to the next’
The Strad Podcast Episode #22: Chad Hoopes on interdisciplinary teaching and learning
’Every student is different, every lesson is different. You have to teach according to the student’
The Strad Podcast Episode #21: Leon Bosch on Bottesini
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Bottesini’s birth, Leon Bosch speaks about the complete musician who was described as ‘the Paganini of the double bass’
The Strad Podcast Episode #20: Steven Isserlis on consulting musical editions and manuscripts
The cellist speaks about consulting the various surviving manuscripts of the Bach Cello Suites, as well as making bowing and fingering suggestions for the Dvořák Cello Concerto
The Strad Podcast Episode #19: Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason on sibling collaboration
The cello-piano sibling duo speak about working together ahead of their new album ‘Muse’, out on 5 November
The Strad Podcast Episode #18: Rakhi Singh on creativity
’Putting myself in a space where I had no expectations of myself… it was liberating, it freed me up to use my ears and my heart more’
The Strad Podcast Episode #17: Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider on competitions
The violinist and president of the Carl Nielsen International Competition speaks about making competitions a more inclusive environment, as well as tips for future contestants
The Strad Podcast Episode #16: Ayanna Witter-Johnson on playing and singing
Cellist and vocalist Ayanna Witter-Johnson speaks about her unique combination of performance styles
The Strad Podcast Episode #15: Jack Liebeck on Ysaÿe Sonatas
‘It feels incredible to play this music… it fits the violinist’s hand like a glove’
The Strad Podcast Episode #14: Nicolas Altstaedt on the Lutosławski Cello Concerto
’I always tell my agents ”Put Lutosławski on the top of the list”, it’s really maybe my number one favourite of all concertos!’
The Strad Podcast #13: Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier on dealing with performance anxiety
‘We go quickly from “this is out of tune” to “I’m the worst human being on the planet!”’
The Strad Podcast Episode #12: Maxim Vengerov on Ravel
’For every nuance that Ravel wrote, one must really be attentive to the score’
The Strad Podcast Episode #11: Jesus Rodolfo’s 1696 ‘Spanish Court’ Stradivari viola copy
Jesus Rodolfo speaks about his very special instrument made for him based on a decorated Stradivari
The Strad Podcast Episode #10: Joshua Bell on Piazzolla
The violinist speaks about playing Piazzolla’s music in the centenary of the composer’s birth
The Strad Podcast Episode #9: Anne Akiko Meyers on new commissions
The violinist speaks about working closely with composers on new works and cadenzas
The Strad Podcast Episode #8: Christian Li’s life as a young violinist
The Strad Podcast’s youngest guest (so far) speaks about his routines and rituals as a violinist
The Strad Podcast Episode #7: Hannah Roberts on studies and etudes
‘There is going to be a natural gesture which is completely connected to the music that you’re playing’
The Strad Podcast Episode #6: Johannes Moser on the Elgar Cello Concerto
Johannes Moser shares his thoughts on living alongside this iconic work, as well as the practical elements of performing such a challenging piece
The Strad Podcast Episode #5: Hsin-Yun Huang’s philosophies on playing and teaching
’Ultimately technique is a way of communicating. But communicating of what? Of your whole being’
The Strad Podcast Episode #4: Francesca Dego on playing ‘Il Cannone’
Violinist Francesca Dego speaks about her unique opportunity to play and record on Paganini’s violin: the Guarneri ’del Gesù’ ’Il Cannone’
The Strad Podcast Episode #3: Benjamin Baker on performing solo Bach
Violinist Benjamin Baker speaks about performing all six sonatas and partitas by Bach, as well as how playing solo Bach can inform his playing of contemporary works, and vice versa.
The Strad Podcast Episode #2: Maja Bugge’s five tips for teaching improvisation
Cellist Maja Bugge shares some helpful ways to incorporate and explore improvisation in lessons
The Strad Podcast Episode #1: Lisa Batiashvili on the Sibelius Violin Concerto
Lisa Batiashvili shares her insights on the piece, as well as advice to violinists learning the work
The Strad Podcast Episode #60: Nemanja Radulović on ‘Roots’
The violinist speaks about playing world music, as well as his musical path and heroes in Serbia
The Strad Podcast Episode #59: Charlie Siem on Beethoven
The violinist shares what Beethoven means to him, as well as how he approaches performance nerves and unidiomatic writing
The Strad Podcast Episode #58: Bjarte Eike on the Playhouse Sessions
High-risk creativity, fearlessness, and booze are just some of the ingredients for an exciting, immersive show experience
The Strad Podcast Episode #57: Augustin Hadelich on Recuerdos and Ricochet
Enjoy some ’R&R’: the violinist speaks about his new album, as well as a particularly tricky bowing technique
The Strad Podcast Episode #56: Richard Markson on teaching tone and sound
‘You have to hear in your mind a sound that you want to make’
The Strad Podcast Episode #55: Time For Three on triple concertos
Violinists Nick Kendall and Charles Yang, and double bassist Ranaan Meyer speak about triple concerto commissions, plus their favourite string techniques
The Strad Podcast Episode #54: Timothy Chooi on playing Strads
The violinist has been lucky enough to play two Stradivari violins since 2015: the 1717 ’Windsor-Weinstein’ and the 1709 ‘Engelman’
The Strad Podcast Episode #53: David Finckel and Wu Han on creating inspiration
‘It’s not only making music together, but also contributing your life to the common good of society’
The Strad Podcast Episode #52: Carolin Widmann on 1000 years of violin repertoire
Repertoire covering over a millennium by a diverse set of composers has more in common than at first glance, says violinist Carolin Widmann
The Strad Podcast Episode #51: John-Henry Crawford on Latin American music
The cellist speaks about the parallels between language and music, as well as exploring new sound worlds in his new album Corazón
The Strad Podcast Episode #50: Itamar Zorman on violin globetrotting
The Strad’s 50th podcast episode celebrates violin repertoire from around the world
The Strad Podcast Episode #49: Zina Schiff and Avlana Eisenberg on mother and daughter collaboration
The violin/conductor mother and daughter team speak about working together on their new album of works by William Grant Still
The Strad Podcast Episode #48: Noah Bendix-Balgley on performing under pressure as a concertmaster
Yes, the Scheherazade and Ein Heldenleben solos are nerve-wracking for everybody…
The Strad Podcast Episode #47: Korinthia Klein on basic instrument maintenance
‘When you’re armed with good knowledge, you can make better decisions’
The Strad Podcast Episode #46: Billy Tobenkin on starting the cello at 25
’I encourage adults that I encounter to dream bigger than you would imagine’
The Strad Podcast Episode #45: The New Zealand String Quartet on its 35th anniversary
‘Make sure the music is first and the ego last’ - words of advice from the long-standing ensemble
The Strad Podcast Episode #44: Amit Peled on playing in cello choirs
The cellist speaks about the educational and professional benefits of playing in a massed ensemble
The Strad Podcast Episode #43: Jan Vogler on music festivals
’They celebrate music, they celebrate friendship, they celebrate communication between different cultures’
The Strad Podcast Episode #42: Kerenza Peacock on environmental awareness and musical connection
‘A violin was once a tree’ - the violinist speaks about the connection musicians have with the environment, as well as using music to drive environmental and social awareness
The Strad Podcast Episode #41: Ani Aznavoorian on Armenian music
’It’s our way of maintaining our culture and paying it forward to the next generation’
The Strad Podcast Episode #40: Naomi Yandell on teaching beginner bow holds
A must-listen episode for anyone flummoxed by the tricky concept of teaching new string players how to hold a bow
The Strad Podcast Episode #39: Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington on musical activism
’I didn’t have a choice, I had to play that piece’ - Kronos Quartet’s founding violinist on using music to speak out against injustice, as well as giving a voice to the voiceless
The Strad Podcast Episode #38: Eldbjørg Hemsing on Norwegian music
The violinist outlines the history of classical and folk music in Norway and illustrates her sentimentality behind the sound of her home country
The Strad Podcast Episode #37: Paris Andrew from Women in Lutherie
’It feels good to have a space where women can be talking about issues. It can feel comforting, but at the same time, it’s infuriating how many of these stories we come across’
The Strad Podcast Episode #36: Coco Tomita on forging a solo career during the pandemic
The young violinist shares her experiences of the last two years, as well as the time she was lucky enough to play on a Stradivari violin
The Strad Podcast Episode #35: Philippe Quint on new ways to programme music
’We’re going through an incredible renaissance of invention’
The Strad Podcast Episode #34: Maria Ioudenitch on her competition success
The winner of both the Tibor Varga and Joseph Joachim International Violin Competitions in 2021 reflects on a successful year
The Strad Podcast Episode #33: Louise Lansdown and Njabulo Nxumalo on the Arco project
Founder Louise Lansdown speaks about the mission behind the project, while student double bassist Njabulo Nxumalo shares his first-hand experiences of learning music under the scheme
The Strad Podcast Episode #32: Rachel Barton Pine and Billy Childs on a new violin concerto
’If our violin concertos were only written by violinists, we’d get things that were very idiomatic, but perhaps never transcending that. It broadens our perspective’
The Strad Podcast Episode #31: Nils Mönkemeyer on Mozart Sinfonia Concertante
The violist speaks about the spontaneity and openness of performing a work that is part solo and part chamber music, as well as what he really thinks about playing the viola part scordatura
The Strad Podcast Episode #30: Sean Lee on performing Paganini Caprices
’It’s sort of like going to the gym: you show up, you do your workout, you recover and you come back a bit stronger’
The Strad Podcast Episode #29: Julia Fischer on Mozart Violin Concertos
‘I played the first movement of the G major concerto in the Philharmonie in Munich when I was eight’
The Strad Podcast Episode #28: Alexandra Conunova on losing her Guadagnini violin
Conunova’s violin was seized by customs officials at Chișinău airport in October 2021. She shares what happened on that day, as well as how she finally managed to get the instrument back after two months
The Strad Podcast Episode #27: Kian Soltani on Shostakovich Cello Concerto no.1
’You’ve got to be in shape to play this piece. You have to have the courage to not give everything right away’
The Strad Podcast Episode #26: Alun Thomas on Alexander Technique
’We need to find a way of getting out of our own way, to stop the things that we don’t need’
The Strad Podcast Episode #25: Leia Zhu on performance and outreach
’It’s very exciting to be able to bring the live experience to the community. Hopefully they have a great time and fall in love with classical music!’
The Strad Podcast Episode #24: Caroline Pether on the joy of playing in chamber orchestras
‘The clue is in the name, really - it’s big chamber music’
The Strad Podcast Episode #23: Pablo Ferrández on Classical cello concertos
’When I’m playing these pieces, I imagine big gestures, a lot of gravity that brings you from one impulse to the next’
The Strad Podcast Episode #22: Chad Hoopes on interdisciplinary teaching and learning
’Every student is different, every lesson is different. You have to teach according to the student’
The Strad Podcast Episode #21: Leon Bosch on Bottesini
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Bottesini’s birth, Leon Bosch speaks about the complete musician who was described as ‘the Paganini of the double bass’
The Strad Podcast Episode #20: Steven Isserlis on consulting musical editions and manuscripts
The cellist speaks about consulting the various surviving manuscripts of the Bach Cello Suites, as well as making bowing and fingering suggestions for the Dvořák Cello Concerto
The Strad Podcast Episode #19: Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason on sibling collaboration
The cello-piano sibling duo speak about working together ahead of their new album ‘Muse’, out on 5 November
The Strad Podcast Episode #18: Rakhi Singh on creativity
’Putting myself in a space where I had no expectations of myself… it was liberating, it freed me up to use my ears and my heart more’
The Strad Podcast Episode #17: Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider on competitions
The violinist and president of the Carl Nielsen International Competition speaks about making competitions a more inclusive environment, as well as tips for future contestants
The Strad Podcast Episode #16: Ayanna Witter-Johnson on playing and singing
Cellist and vocalist Ayanna Witter-Johnson speaks about her unique combination of performance styles
The Strad Podcast Episode #15: Jack Liebeck on Ysaÿe Sonatas
‘It feels incredible to play this music… it fits the violinist’s hand like a glove’
The Strad Podcast Episode #14: Nicolas Altstaedt on the Lutosławski Cello Concerto
’I always tell my agents ”Put Lutosławski on the top of the list”, it’s really maybe my number one favourite of all concertos!’
The Strad Podcast #13: Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier on dealing with performance anxiety
‘We go quickly from “this is out of tune” to “I’m the worst human being on the planet!”’
The Strad Podcast Episode #12: Maxim Vengerov on Ravel
’For every nuance that Ravel wrote, one must really be attentive to the score’
The Strad Podcast Episode #11: Jesus Rodolfo’s 1696 ‘Spanish Court’ Stradivari viola copy
Jesus Rodolfo speaks about his very special instrument made for him based on a decorated Stradivari
The Strad Podcast Episode #10: Joshua Bell on Piazzolla
The violinist speaks about playing Piazzolla’s music in the centenary of the composer’s birth
The Strad Podcast Episode #9: Anne Akiko Meyers on new commissions
The violinist speaks about working closely with composers on new works and cadenzas
The Strad Podcast Episode #8: Christian Li’s life as a young violinist
The Strad Podcast’s youngest guest (so far) speaks about his routines and rituals as a violinist
The Strad Podcast Episode #7: Hannah Roberts on studies and etudes
‘There is going to be a natural gesture which is completely connected to the music that you’re playing’
The Strad Podcast Episode #6: Johannes Moser on the Elgar Cello Concerto
Johannes Moser shares his thoughts on living alongside this iconic work, as well as the practical elements of performing such a challenging piece
The Strad Podcast Episode #5: Hsin-Yun Huang’s philosophies on playing and teaching
’Ultimately technique is a way of communicating. But communicating of what? Of your whole being’
The Strad Podcast Episode #4: Francesca Dego on playing ‘Il Cannone’
Violinist Francesca Dego speaks about her unique opportunity to play and record on Paganini’s violin: the Guarneri ’del Gesù’ ’Il Cannone’
The Strad Podcast Episode #3: Benjamin Baker on performing solo Bach
Violinist Benjamin Baker speaks about performing all six sonatas and partitas by Bach, as well as how playing solo Bach can inform his playing of contemporary works, and vice versa.
The Strad Podcast Episode #2: Maja Bugge’s five tips for teaching improvisation
Cellist Maja Bugge shares some helpful ways to incorporate and explore improvisation in lessons
The Strad Podcast Episode #1: Lisa Batiashvili on the Sibelius Violin Concerto
Lisa Batiashvili shares her insights on the piece, as well as advice to violinists learning the work
-
A subscription to The Strad brings you:
- Monthly issue in print and as a digital edition
- Three special supplements and The Strad Directory
- Archive of digital issues from January 2010
- Unlimited access to all premium subscriber online content
- Two detailed instrument posters a year
- Interviews with star string players
- Masterclasses with commentary
- Sheet music annotated by international concert artist
-
