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Join us at the ASTA National Conference from March 19-22 in Atlanta! Meet The Strad team at stand 711
Franz Geissenhof: the Viennese Stradivari
Violinist Arabella Steinbacher: angels and demons
Postcard from Germany: Heidelberg String Quartet Festival
Premiere of the Month: Avner Dorman’s new double concerto for Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony
Concert review: Amihai Grosz (viola) Berlin Philharmonic/Tugan Sokhiev
Violinist Leonidas Kavakos ‘thrown off balance’ by JD Vance booing at the Kennedy Center
The violinist responds to last week’s incident at the Kennedy Center, describing it as disruptive to his pre-performance concentration
Thirteen-year-old violinist Himari signs exclusive contract with Decca Classics
Described as a ‘once-in-a generation talent’, the young Japanese violinist will release her debut EP in May
Record breaker: ‘Baron Knoop’ Stradivari violin sells for $23 million
The price for the 1715 instrument, crafted in Stradivari’s ‘golden period’, is the highest for any violin in history
Playing Hub
Marathon at Wigmore: The Jack Quartet has world-burning energy to spare
Jack Quartet violinist Austin Wulliman and violist John Pickford Richards speak with US correspondent Thomas May about their upcoming marathon at Wigmore Hall, where the ensemble will perform three signature programmes all on the same day
How we transcribed Bach’s Goldberg Variations for flute, violin, viola da gamba and basso continuo
The early music group Nevermind outlines the challenges and its immersive process to transcribe Bach’s mighty opus for its instrumentation
Violinist James Ehnes: an exclusive profile from The Strad’s archive, November 2007
Charismatic, honest, self-critical, and with an amazingly relaxed approach to performing, the Canadian virtuoso charms Michael Quinn in this archive interview from The Strad’s November 2007 issue
Sentimental Work: Fabio Biondi on Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette
Discovering Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette was a pivotal moment in the Italian violinist–conductor’s path to understanding the world of 19th-century Romanticism
‘They never seemed quite to forgive each other’ - From the archive: March 1915
The somewhat irascible Belgian cellist Ernest de Munck, who passed away on 19 January 1915, is remembered by his student Dora Petherick
Owls takes flight with debut album ‘Rare Birds’
One of the two cellists comprising the ‘inverted quartet’ Owls, Gabriel Cabezas speaks with US correspondent Thomas May about the ensemble’s debut album, Rare Birds.
Premium ❘ Feature
Franz Geissenhof: the Viennese Stradivari
Franz Geissenhof’s instruments have always been highly regarded, but how far was he influenced by his Cremonese predecessor? Rudolf Hopfner compares a typical Geissenhof violin with Stradivari’s work to find out
Premium ❘ Feature
Violinist Arabella Steinbacher: angels and demons
Pauline Harding hears from the German violinist about her cathartic journey into the darkest depths and brightest heights of Lentz’s Violin Concerto, its pairing with Beethoven on her latest recording and the impact of motherhood on music making
Premium ❘ Feature
Franz Geissenhof: the Viennese Stradivari
Franz Geissenhof’s instruments have always been highly regarded, but how far was he influenced by his Cremonese predecessor? Rudolf Hopfner compares a typical Geissenhof violin with Stradivari’s work to find out
Premium ❘ Focus
‘You have to feel you’re worthy of standing on stage’ - Julia Fischer’s life lessons
The German violinist on her influences and navigating today’s challenges
Premium ❘ Focus
Opinion: Embracing diversity in string teaching
Having made the difficult journey from an unbending conservatoire education to a fulfilling career playing and teaching non-classical styles, French violinist Scott Tixier says it’s essential to embrace diversity in music education
Competitions
![[2] Echo Theory pc Lukas Breuer - Copy](https://dnan0fzjxntrj.cloudfront.net/Pictures/460x307/2/5/7/38257_2echotheorypclukasbreuercopy_270148.jpg)
Echo Theory trio wins the 2025 HUGO Competition
The trio receives a €1,500 cash prize and a €5,000 production budget to stage its concert and installation
International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition announces competitors for 2025
45 violinists will take part in this year’s competition in Helsinki this May, with the chance to win the top prize of €30,000, loan of a fine violin, plus future performance engagements and mentoring
Concours de Genève announces jury for 2025 viola edition
The jury for this year’s competition features a star-studded line-up of international violists - find out more about them here
Premium ❘ News
Premiere of the Month: Avner Dorman’s new double concerto for Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony
Bach and the Book of Ecclesiastes shape a new double violin concerto
Premium ❘ News
Competitions, Awards and Appointments: March 2025
The latest competition results, appointments and forthcoming contests
Masterclass: Schumann Five Pieces in Folk Style op.102, first piece
Cellist Trey Lee shares how a particular painting in London’s National Gallery provided his inspiration for this movement, which can be seen as a metaphor for life
Masterclass: Ravel Piano Trio, first movement
Keeping in mind Ravel’s orchestral sound palette is key to letting colour direct the myriad character and mood changes in this lilting movement, says cellist Carrie Bean Stute
Masterclass: Schumann Five Pieces in Folk Style op.102, first piece
Cellist Trey Lee shares how a particular painting in London’s National Gallery provided his inspiration for this movement, which can be seen as a metaphor for life
Masterclass: Ravel Piano Trio, first movement
Keeping in mind Ravel’s orchestral sound palette is key to letting colour direct the myriad character and mood changes in this lilting movement, says cellist Carrie Bean Stute
Masterclass: Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, first movement
Although this concerto is a well-known staple of the repertoire, violinists can still find opportunities to explore refreshing interpretations in this movement, says Paul Huang
The Strad Podcast: How to tailor the Suzuki Method to different students with violinist Meghan Faw
The violinist shares her personal experiences with the method as both a student and a teacher
The Strad Podcast: How to hold a masterclass with violinist Paul Huang
The violinist speaks about his teaching approaches in a unique learning experience, in the third part of our four-part education-themed podcast series
The Strad Podcast: How to teach collaborative skills with violinist Annie Fullard of the Cavani Quartet
‘We should live in a chamber music world’ - the violinist speaks about the importance of collaboration inside and outside of the practice room, in the second episode of our four-part education-themed podcast series
The Strad Podcast: How to practise effectively with violinist Ray Chen
The first in our new four-part education themed podcast series features our September 2024 cover star
The Strad Podcast: How to tailor the Suzuki Method to different students with violinist Meghan Faw
The violinist shares her personal experiences with the method as both a student and a teacher
The Strad Podcast: How to hold a masterclass with violinist Paul Huang
The violinist speaks about his teaching approaches in a unique learning experience, in the third part of our four-part education-themed podcast series
The Strad Podcast: How to teach collaborative skills with violinist Annie Fullard of the Cavani Quartet
‘We should live in a chamber music world’ - the violinist speaks about the importance of collaboration inside and outside of the practice room, in the second episode of our four-part education-themed podcast series
Competitions
Echo Theory trio wins the 2025 HUGO Competition
The trio receives a €1,500 cash prize and a €5,000 production budget to stage its concert and installation
International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition announces competitors for 2025
45 violinists will take part in this year’s competition in Helsinki this May, with the chance to win the top prize of €30,000, loan of a fine violin, plus future performance engagements and mentoring
Concours de Genève announces jury for 2025 viola edition
The jury for this year’s competition features a star-studded line-up of international violists - find out more about them here
New video: Abel Selaocoe performs Takamba
The work is based on a West African rhythm that the cellist aims to celebrate
New video: Abel Selaocoe performs Takamba
Violin x gaming: Esther Abrami performs music from Final Fantasy XV
Ariel Quartet performs Beethoven String Quartet op.18, no.5
New video: ‘Dear Mountains’ by Karen Ouzounian and Lembit Beecher
Bryan Cheng performs Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto no.1
Jack Liebeck and Alexander Sitkovetsky chat about Arnold’s double violin concerto
Cellist Philipp Schupelius performs an improv-inspired cadenza
‘No Escape’: violinist Christine Bernsted performs music by Lera Auerbach
Gabriel Schwabe and Nicholas Rimmer perform Beethoven’s Cello Sonata no.5
Violin and dance combine in new video, ‘Doppelgänger Dances’
- Previous
- Next
Franz Geissenhof: the Viennese Stradivari
Franz Geissenhof’s instruments have always been highly regarded, but how far was he influenced by his Cremonese predecessor? Rudolf Hopfner compares a typical Geissenhof violin with Stradivari’s work to find out
Violin maker Antonio Bagatella: First among equals
Despite few of his violins surviving today, Antonio Bagatella is important in violin history for writing one of the first treatises on instrument design. Christian Pabst examines his work and shows how his methods stand up to scrutiny
Trade Secrets: Varnish retouch
A method for layering pigments and shellac to reproduce the exact colour and thickness of an instrument’s varnish
Making Matters: Using various technologies for restoration
Luthier Giovanni Lazzaro recalls the extensive restoration of an 1876 cello by Raffaele Fiorini which required the use of a number of different technologies
Record breaker: ‘Baron Knoop’ Stradivari violin sells for $23 million
The price for the 1715 instrument, crafted in Stradivari’s ‘golden period’, is the highest for any violin in history
Violins to honour war poets at Wilfred Owen Festival
The instruments, dedicated to Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves, will be donated to the town of Oswestry at the festival’s opening on 15 March
Franz Geissenhof: the Viennese Stradivari
Franz Geissenhof’s instruments have always been highly regarded, but how far was he influenced by his Cremonese predecessor? Rudolf Hopfner compares a typical Geissenhof violin with Stradivari’s work to find out
Violin maker Antonio Bagatella: First among equals
Despite few of his violins surviving today, Antonio Bagatella is important in violin history for writing one of the first treatises on instrument design. Christian Pabst examines his work and shows how his methods stand up to scrutiny
Trade Secrets: Varnish retouch
A method for layering pigments and shellac to reproduce the exact colour and thickness of an instrument’s varnish
Making Matters: Using various technologies for restoration
Luthier Giovanni Lazzaro recalls the extensive restoration of an 1876 cello by Raffaele Fiorini which required the use of a number of different technologies
Record breaker: ‘Baron Knoop’ Stradivari violin sells for $23 million
The price for the 1715 instrument, crafted in Stradivari’s ‘golden period’, is the highest for any violin in history
Violins to honour war poets at Wilfred Owen Festival
The instruments, dedicated to Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves, will be donated to the town of Oswestry at the festival’s opening on 15 March
Concert review: Amihai Grosz (viola) Berlin Philharmonic/Tugan Sokhiev
Carlos Maria Solare hears the performance of Donghoon Shin’s Threadsuns, plus Lili Boulanger’s D’un matin de printemps and Mahler’s First Symphony, at the Berlin Philharmonie on 10 January 2025
Concert review: Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, RIAS Chamber Choir/Vladimir Jurowski
Carlos María Solare attends a performance showcasing the ‘Violins of Hope’ collection at the Berlin Philharmonie on 27 January 2025
Concert review: Melissa White (violin) Pallavi Mahidhara (piano)
Bruce Hodges hears the performance of Arvo Pärt, Amy Beach, Reena Esmail and William Grant Still at the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, on 14 January 2025
Emmanuele Baldini: Mignone
A fitting tribute to a charismatic Brazilian
Paian Trio: Fesca
A forgotten figure is lovingly revived with committed performances
Riccardo Pes: ‘Degenerate Music’ for Cello
A lack of individuality makes for an underwhelming listen
Book review: The Fractured Self: Selected German Letters of the Australian-born Violinist Alma Moodie, 1918–1943
Tully Potter reviews a comprehensive collection of letters which cast light on the life and career of one of the early 20th century’s best known female violinists
Book review: Artistic Violins and Bows: The Music Region of Markneukirchen and Schönbach
Andrew Dipper reviews Bruce Babbitt and Brandon Godman’s latest book on the ‘Musikwinkel’ of eastern Germany which became one of the world’s great heartlands of instrument making in the 19th century
Book review: Cello: A Journey through Silence to Sound
Janet Banks reviews Kate Kennedy’s bestseller relating the stories of four cellists and their instruments
Debate
Opinion: Embracing diversity in string teaching
Having made the difficult journey from an unbending conservatoire education to a fulfilling career playing and teaching non-classical styles, French violinist Scott Tixier says it’s essential to embrace diversity in music education
Opinion: Making the most out of chamber music coaching
Playing chamber music well is the most valuable, and demanding, lesson for both string students and their teachers, says cellist David Finckel. He shares his own wealth of experience for making the most of coaching sessions
Debate
Opinion: Embracing diversity in string teaching
Having made the difficult journey from an unbending conservatoire education to a fulfilling career playing and teaching non-classical styles, French violinist Scott Tixier says it’s essential to embrace diversity in music education
Opinion: Making the most out of chamber music coaching
Playing chamber music well is the most valuable, and demanding, lesson for both string students and their teachers, says cellist David Finckel. He shares his own wealth of experience for making the most of coaching sessions
Accessories
Products April 2025: Digitaize Strings Module
New technology that digitises a violin in real time
Products April 2025: Thomastik-Infeld rosin
A new rosin with an extra boost
Products April 2025: Negri Vulcano case
A new colourful range from Negri for violin, viola and cello
Concert review: Amihai Grosz (viola) Berlin Philharmonic/Tugan Sokhiev
Carlos Maria Solare hears the performance of Donghoon Shin’s Threadsuns, plus Lili Boulanger’s D’un matin de printemps and Mahler’s First Symphony, at the Berlin Philharmonie on 10 January 2025
Concert review: Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, RIAS Chamber Choir/Vladimir Jurowski
Carlos María Solare attends a performance showcasing the ‘Violins of Hope’ collection at the Berlin Philharmonie on 27 January 2025
Concert review: Melissa White (violin) Pallavi Mahidhara (piano)
Bruce Hodges hears the performance of Arvo Pärt, Amy Beach, Reena Esmail and William Grant Still at the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, on 14 January 2025
Book review: The Fractured Self: Selected German Letters of the Australian-born Violinist Alma Moodie, 1918–1943
Tully Potter reviews a comprehensive collection of letters which cast light on the life and career of one of the early 20th century’s best known female violinists
Book review: Artistic Violins and Bows: The Music Region of Markneukirchen and Schönbach
Andrew Dipper reviews Bruce Babbitt and Brandon Godman’s latest book on the ‘Musikwinkel’ of eastern Germany which became one of the world’s great heartlands of instrument making in the 19th century
Book review: Cello: A Journey through Silence to Sound
Janet Banks reviews Kate Kennedy’s bestseller relating the stories of four cellists and their instruments
Emmanuele Baldini: Mignone
A fitting tribute to a charismatic Brazilian
Paian Trio: Fesca
A forgotten figure is lovingly revived with committed performances
Riccardo Pes: ‘Degenerate Music’ for Cello
A lack of individuality makes for an underwhelming listen
Artists
Cellist Zara Nelsova: A sound from a dream
The Canadian-born cellist Zara Nelsova was a fierce advocate for the repertoire she loved and for four decades an inspirational teacher at the Juilliard School. Oskar Falta explores her life and remarkable career, and hears from some of the musicians who studied with her
Music for our time: violinist Paul Huang on his new album ‘Mirrors’
The violinist speaks to The Strad about a musical journey that he hopes inspires listeners to ponder the past, present and future
Education Resources
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