Today, the Solem Quartet releases Nocturne by Lili Boulanger, the first single from its upcoming album Painted Light.

Boulanger originally wrote the work in 1911 for flute and piano and subsequently arranged the piece as one of her Deux Morceaux (‘Two Pieces’) for violin and piano. It has been arranged for string quartet by the ensemble’s second violinist, William Newell.

The Solem Quartet will feature in The Strad November 2023 magazine Session Report, where the quartet’s violist Stephen Upshaw speaks to Harry White about the processes behind recording their album of 20th and 21st century works.

Painted Light will be released on 27 October 2023 on Delphian Records. It is available for pre-order now: https://orcd.co/paintedlight

Best of Technique

In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.

Masterclass

The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.

Calendars

American collector David L. Fulton amassed one of the 20th century’s finest collections of stringed instruments. This year’s calendar pays tribute to some of these priceless treasures, including Yehudi Menuhin’s celebrated ‘Lord Wilton’ Guarneri, the Carlo Bergonzi once played by Fritz Kreisler, and four instruments by Antonio Stradivari.