Performance | The Strad Podcasts

Performance Podcasts

The Strad Podcast Episode #57: Augustin Hadelich on Recuerdos and Ricochet
2024-04-04T08:10:00+01:00
Enjoy some ’R&R’: the violinist speaks about his new album, as well as a particularly tricky bowing technique
The Strad Podcast #113: Uncovering Ysaÿe’s lost works with violinist Philippe Graffin
2024-03-14T09:59:00+00:00
The violinist speaks about his efforts to bring Ysaÿe’s Poème concertant into the limelight
The Strad Podcast #111: juggling orchestral and solo playing with double bassist Michael Rieber
2024-02-29T09:35:00+00:00
How do you find the time to release a solo album while holding a principal position in one of Europe’s top orchestras? The double bassist shares his strategies for effective practice and preparation
The Strad Podcast #110: Stravinsky’s kaleidoscope of colours with violinist Alena Baeva
2024-02-22T08:35:00+00:00
Alena Baeva delves into the intricacies of Stravinsky’s Divertimento from The Fairy’s Kiss, which features on her latest recording
The Strad Podcast #109: the importance of a positive mindset with cellist Maja Bogdanović
2024-02-15T01:39:00+00:00
How do you avoid burnout and stress when you have a busy performing and family life? Maja shares her strategies
The Strad Podcast #108: In search of authenticity: exploring Brahms’s Violin Sonata no.2 with Daniel Kurganov
2024-02-08T09:22:00+00:00
Alongside his February issue Masterclass on the sonata, the violinist shares his historical performance approach to recording the work, as well as his quest for authenticity
The Strad Podcast #107: back to basics with cellist Gabriel Schwabe
2024-02-01T10:03:00+00:00
Defining one’s practice with intention is crucial to unlocking playing potential without dwelling on too much complexity, says the cellist
The Strad Podcast #101: inside the Zemtsov viola dynasty with Dana and Mikhail Zemtsov
2023-11-02T09:33:00+00:00
What’s it like being in a family where everyone plays the viola? The father and daughter duo share all
The Strad Podcast #100: Cheng² Duo on new works for cello and piano
2023-10-26T08:51:00+01:00
Our 100th episode features a chat about celebrating cultural heritage, sibling collaboration, as well as how to emulate the sound of a horse on a cello
The Strad Podcast #98: finding new double bass repertoire with Valentina Ciardelli
2023-10-12T08:31:00+01:00
Transcriptions of existing repertoire should celebrate the double bass in all its glory, rather than present a poor imitation of other instruments, says the double bassist
The Strad Podcast #96: Christian Tetzlaff on Bartók Violin Concerto no.2
2023-09-28T09:06:00+01:00
The violinist shares his personal experience and thoughts on the work
The Strad Podcast #95: Historical instrument chat with violinist Rachel Podger
2023-09-21T08:36:00+01:00
Rachel speaks about the tools of her trade in this episode of the ‘Podgecast’
The Strad Podcast #94: a theatrical Verklärte Nacht with cellist Matthew Barley
2023-09-14T08:34:00+01:00
The cellist speaks about creating a theatrical experience with a multitude of access points for new and existing audiences to Schoenberg’s piece and other related works
The Strad Podcast #93: creative storytelling with cellist Alexander Hersh
2023-09-07T08:31:00+01:00
The star of ‘Absinthe’ shares how narrative and multiple access points can benefit classical music in reaching new audiences
The Strad Podcast #92: remembering violinist Geoff Nuttall of the St. Lawrence String Quartet
2023-08-31T08:44:00+01:00
The ensemble’s founding violist Lesley Robertson shares her memories of the violinist
The Strad Podcast #91: ‘The Music Critic’ with violinist Aleksey Igudesman
2023-08-24T08:44:00+01:00
‘The most horrible reviews of the most beautiful music ever written’
The Strad Podcast #90: on the road with the Aizuri Quartet
2023-08-17T08:48:00+01:00
With a busy touring season, how do the players cope with learning lots of repertoire, rehearsing with limited time and being away from home? Violinist Emma Frucht shares the group’s strategies
The Strad Podcast #87: Yoga and string playing with violinist Melissa White
2023-07-27T09:06:00+01:00
‘Our bodies are our best teachers’
The Strad Podcast #85: the Dudok Quartet on ‘What Remains’ and eclecticism
2023-07-13T08:51:00+01:00
Violinist Marleen Wester and cellist David Faber speak about drawing influences from a range of sources on the quartet’s new album
The Strad Podcast #84: double bassist Luis Cabrera on performing Bach Cello Suites
2023-07-06T08:52:00+01:00
The double bassist speaks about his historically informed video recording of the first suite
The Strad Podcast #82: Violinist Tessa Lark on The Stradgrass Sessions
2023-05-04T09:18:00+01:00
Tessa speaks about how social gatherings and collaborations are integral constituents of folk music
The Strad Podcast #81: TwoSet Violin’s Brett Yang on the ‘Empress Caterina’ Stradivari
2023-04-20T08:50:00+01:00
What did Brett learn from playing this fine instrument? Find out in our exclusive chat!
The Strad Podcast #80: Malin Broman on multi-instrumentalism
2023-03-30T09:05:00+01:00
Malin shares how her violin skills transfer to viola and cello, and vice versa
The Strad Podcast #77: 2023 Sphinx Competition winner Njioma Grevious
2023-02-16T09:30:00+00:00
The violinist shares her strategies for competition and performance preparation, as well as how she embodies the character of a piece on stage
The Strad Podcast #75: Patricia Kopatchinskaja on Brahms, Bartók and Janáček
2023-02-02T09:30:00+00:00
The violinist speaks about doing justice to the composers’ wishes, as well as keeping the repertoire fresh and spontaneous
The Strad Podcast #73: Cellist Alisa Weilerstein on ‘Fragments’
2023-01-19T09:30:00+00:00
Alisa speaks about the project which encompasses Bach, 27 commissions, and theatrical elements
The Strad Podcast #72: Liam Byrne on the viola da gamba
2023-01-12T09:30:00+00:00
Liam speaks about playing a wide range of repertoire with new technology
The Strad Podcast #70: Gwendolyn Masin on three unknown violin pieces you should know
2022-12-15T09:30:00+00:00
Discover neglected works by Vítězslava Kaprálová, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Lazare Saminsky
The Strad Podcast #67: Curtis Stewart on Julia Perry’s Violin Concerto
2022-11-24T09:30:00+00:00
On 2 December, the violinist will give the premiere performance of a 20th-century work that has fallen into obscurity
The Strad Podcast #66: Cellist Anastasia Kobekina on choosing the right strings
2022-11-10T09:30:00+00:00
The cellist recently provided input in the development of For-Tune Strings’ new Opal Gold cello strings
The Strad Podcast #64: Cellist Sophie Kauer on her role in ‘TÁR’
2022-10-27T08:30:00+01:00
The 21-year-old stars alongside Cate Blanchett in a feature film following the life of high-powered composer-conductor Lydia Tár
The Strad Podcast #63: Alina Ibragimova on historically informed performance
2022-10-20T08:37:00+01:00
The violinist shares her thoughts on performing and recording Telemann Fantasias in an authentic style
The Strad Podcast #62: Frank Huang on orchestral acoustics in the new David Geffen Hall
2022-10-13T08:30:00+01:00
The concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic shares his insights on the orchestra’s new home
The Strad Podcast Episode #60: Nemanja Radulović on ‘Roots’
2022-09-29T08:30:00+01:00
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
2022-09-22T06:52:00+01:00
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
2022-09-15T08:30:00+01:00
High-risk creativity, fearlessness, and booze are just some of the ingredients for an exciting, immersive show experience
The Strad Podcast Episode #55: Time For Three on triple concertos
2022-07-28T02:05:00+01:00
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
2022-07-21T08:30:00+01:00
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
2022-07-14T08:30:00+01:00
‘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
2022-07-07T08:30:00+01:00
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
2022-06-30T08:30:00+01:00
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
2022-06-23T10:36:00+01:00
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
2022-06-16T08:30:00+01:00
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
2022-06-09T08:30:00+01:00
Yes, the Scheherazade and Ein Heldenleben solos are nerve-wracking for everybody…
The Strad Podcast Episode #45: The New Zealand String Quartet on its 35th anniversary
2022-05-12T08:30:00+01:00
‘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
2022-05-05T08:30:00+01:00
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
2022-04-28T08:30:00+01:00
’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
2022-04-21T08:30:00+01:00
‘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
2022-04-14T08:30:00+01:00
’It’s our way of maintaining our culture and paying it forward to the next generation’
The Strad Podcast Episode #39: Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington on musical activism
2022-03-31T07:10:00+01:00
’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
2022-03-24T09:30:00+00:00
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 #36: Coco Tomita on forging a solo career during the pandemic
2022-03-10T09:30:00+00:00
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
2022-03-03T09:30:00+00:00
’We’re going through an incredible renaissance of invention’
The Strad Podcast Episode #34: Maria Ioudenitch on her competition success
2022-02-24T09:30:00+00:00
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
2022-02-17T09:30:00+00:00
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
2022-02-10T09:30:00+00:00
’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
2022-02-03T09:30:00+00:00
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
2022-01-27T09:30:00+00:00
’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
2022-01-20T09:30:00+00:00
‘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
2022-01-13T09:30:00+00:00
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
2022-01-06T09:30:00+00:00
’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 #25: Leia Zhu on performance and outreach
2021-12-16T09:30:00+00:00
’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
2021-12-09T09:30:00+00:00
‘The clue is in the name, really - it’s big chamber music’
The Strad Podcast Episode #23: Pablo Ferrández on Classical cello concertos
2021-12-02T09:30:00+00:00
’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 #21: Leon Bosch on Bottesini
2021-11-18T09:30:00+00:00
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
2021-11-11T09:30:00+00:00
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
2021-11-04T09:30:00+00:00
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
2021-10-28T08:30:00+01:00
’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
2021-10-21T08:30:00+01:00
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
2021-10-14T08:30:00+01:00
Cellist and vocalist Ayanna Witter-Johnson speaks about her unique combination of performance styles
The Strad Podcast Episode #15: Jack Liebeck on Ysaÿe Sonatas
2021-10-07T08:00:00+01:00
‘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
2021-09-30T08:00:00+01:00
’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
2021-09-23T08:00:00+01:00
‘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
2021-09-16T08:19:00+01:00
’For every nuance that Ravel wrote, one must really be attentive to the score’
The Strad Podcast Episode #10: Joshua Bell on Piazzolla
2021-09-02T08:00:00+01:00
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
2021-08-26T08:00:00+01:00
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
2021-08-19T08:00:00+01:00
The Strad Podcast’s youngest guest (so far) speaks about his routines and rituals as a violinist
The Strad Podcast Episode #6: Johannes Moser on the Elgar Cello Concerto
2021-08-05T07:30:00+01:00
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 #4: Francesca Dego on playing ‘Il Cannone’
2021-07-22T08:00:00+01:00
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
2021-07-15T08:00:00+01:00
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 #1: Lisa Batiashvili on the Sibelius Violin Concerto
2021-07-02T10:45:00+01:00
Lisa Batiashvili shares her insights on the piece, as well as advice to violinists learning the work