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Unstoppable inclusion: how a string trio is helping to diversify classical music audiences in the US South
Until Between: a musical exploration of home, identity and language
‘The jury members should answer to their own convictions’ - Tabea Zimmermann on presiding over the 2025 Concours de Genève viola jury
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Join us at the Akustika Fair at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre from April 4-6! Meet The Strad team at stand F08 and pick up a free copy of the magazine!
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
Until Between: a musical exploration of home, identity and language
Violinist Marie Schreer introduces a multi-disciplinary programme that examines themes of belonging, identity and mother tongue
‘The jury members should answer to their own convictions’ - Tabea Zimmermann on presiding over the 2025 Concours de Genève viola jury
The German violist spoke to The Strad about her approach to presiding over a jury, what she looks for in contestants, and her views on competitions
The instrument of kings: the cello’s timeless dialogue with power and grace
Vahur Luhtsalu examines how the cello has aligned itself with royalty throughout history to the present day
Opinion: The importance of repetition in teaching
In the practice of teaching, the value and beauty of repetition must always be encouraged, says violinist and pioneering Suzuki pedagogue Helen Brunner
From screen to strings: concert works by screen composers
Rita Fernandes presents a curated list of string works by ten composers best known for their screen work, as well as interviews with composers and players
Fiddles and folkore: Kronos Quartet transforms itself into a Hardanger band
Kronos Quartet violinist Gabriela Díaz speaks with The Strad’s US correspondent Thomas May about Elja, the ensemble’s new Hardanger fiddle collaboration with Benedicte Maurseth and Kristine Tjøgersen, which premieres at Carnegie Hall this week.
Premium ❘ Feature
Session Report: the London Handel Players on recording Telemann’s ‘Paris’ Quartets
As part of its 25th-anniversary celebrations, the London Handel Players has recorded six of Telemann’s ‘Paris’ Quartets. Robin Stowell speaks to two of the ensemble’s members about bringing the dance elements in the music to life
Premium ❘ Feature
Trade secrets: External crack repair using silk
Sharon Que provides an innovative solution to a common – and tricky – repair problem
Premium ❘ Feature
Session Report: the London Handel Players on recording Telemann’s ‘Paris’ Quartets
As part of its 25th-anniversary celebrations, the London Handel Players has recorded six of Telemann’s ‘Paris’ Quartets. Robin Stowell speaks to two of the ensemble’s members about bringing the dance elements in the music to life
Premium ❘ Focus
Postcard from Germany: Heidelberg String Quartet Festival
Carlos María Solare joined the loyal audience at Heidelberg’s String Quartet Festival, which celebrated both its 20th anniversary and the upcoming 90th birthday of composer Helmut Lachenmann
Premium ❘ Focus
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
Competitions
Winners announced for the Sinfonima Foundation competition
Nine cellists from German and Swiss music academies won two-year loans of fine cellos and bows to help facilitate their career development
Winners announced for the Johansen International Competition for Young String Players
Violinist Valery Breshears, violist Junyan Du, and cellist Joshua Kováč each receive $10,000
![[2] Echo Theory pc Lukas Breuer - Copy](https://dnan0fzjxntrj.cloudfront.net/Pictures/100x67/2/5/7/38257_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
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
Masterclass: Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto no.3 in B minor, first movement
Violinist Benjamin Beilman explores how to navigate the athletic virtuosity of a work that requires the soloist to have firm technical and musical command
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: Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto no.3 in B minor, first movement
Violinist Benjamin Beilman explores how to navigate the athletic virtuosity of a work that requires the soloist to have firm technical and musical command
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
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
Winners announced for the Sinfonima Foundation competition
Nine cellists from German and Swiss music academies won two-year loans of fine cellos and bows to help facilitate their career development
Winners announced for the Johansen International Competition for Young String Players
Violinist Valery Breshears, violist Junyan Du, and cellist Joshua Kováč each receive $10,000
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
Anzû Quartet performs Ken Thomson’s ‘Uneasy’
The mixed-instrument quartet performs a work that is quite clearly, not easy
Anzû Quartet performs Ken Thomson’s ‘Uneasy’
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
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Trade secrets: External crack repair using silk
Sharon Que provides an innovative solution to a common – and tricky – repair problem
My Space: Bernhard Ritschard’s Lübeck workshop
Take a look around the northern German shop
Making Matters: Making instruments with tulipwood
A case of mistaken identity left luthier Sibylle Ruppert with a batch of untested tulipwood – but a few experiments showed its high potential for instrument making
A queen and a goddess: Arabella Steinbacher on her violins
Our April 2025 issue cover artist discusses her bow and instruments
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: External crack repair using silk
Sharon Que provides an innovative solution to a common – and tricky – repair problem
My Space: Bernhard Ritschard’s Lübeck workshop
Take a look around the northern German shop
Making Matters: Making instruments with tulipwood
A case of mistaken identity left luthier Sibylle Ruppert with a batch of untested tulipwood – but a few experiments showed its high potential for instrument making
A queen and a goddess: Arabella Steinbacher on her violins
Our April 2025 issue cover artist discusses her bow and instruments
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
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
Danel Quartet: Prokofiev
A quartet renowned for Shostakovich turns its attention to his compatriot
Egmont Trio: Ries
A figure too long in Beethoven’s shadow is allowed to shine
Antje Weithaas: Vasks
Compelling advocacy for a recent violin concerto
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: The importance of repetition in teaching
In the practice of teaching, the value and beauty of repetition must always be encouraged, says violinist and pioneering Suzuki pedagogue Helen Brunner
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
Debate
Opinion: The importance of repetition in teaching
In the practice of teaching, the value and beauty of repetition must always be encouraged, says violinist and pioneering Suzuki pedagogue Helen Brunner
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
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
Danel Quartet: Prokofiev
A quartet renowned for Shostakovich turns its attention to his compatriot
Egmont Trio: Ries
A figure too long in Beethoven’s shadow is allowed to shine
Antje Weithaas: Vasks
Compelling advocacy for a recent violin concerto
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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