All Blogs articles – Page 6
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Focus
Conquering performance nerves: starting well and keeping tempo on track
Brian Hodges answers student questions on coping with stage fright
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Blogs
Conquering performance nerves: sweaty hands, losing bow grip
Brian Hodges answers student questions on coping with stage fright
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Blogs
Tamsin Waley-Cohen: 7 tips for making a successful recording
Making a recording comes with its own special set of pressures, and moving from the stage to the studio isn’t the easiest transition for a musician to make. Here violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen sets out her advice earned through experience
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Blogs
Clare Howick on finding inspiration in the personalities of the ‘Maurin’ Stradivarius and 'DeLay' Guadagnini
Like many violinists I have had the occasional opportunity to play on some lovely violins. For example, for my recently released recital disc, British Music for Violin and Piano, I was fortunate to play on the ‘Dorothy DeLay’ Guadagnini (1778), and for my forthcoming world premiere recording ...
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Blogs
10 tips for buying a new bow
Are you considering upgrading to a better bow but not sure where to start? Violinist and bow maker Mariia Gorkun gives practical advice on how to go about choosing the right bow for you and your instrument – Register for free to read
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Blogs
Using innovative programmes to stimulate innovative listening
Violinist Hugo Ticciati lays out the programming philosophy which governs his O/Modernt festival
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Blogs
How Schumann’s suppressed Violin Concerto made history – and the ideal subject for a novel
A glamorous violin virtuosa, a hidden masterpiece, a ouija board, Nazis, Ravel’s Tzigane. It’s not hard to see why author Jessica Duchen was attracted to the story of Jelly D’Arányi. As her novel becomes a UK touring concert, she writes about the strange facts behind the fiction
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Blogs
Becoming a better and happier musician through mindfulness and yoga
Violinists Elena Urioste and Melissa White’s musical lives have been transformed by yoga, finding both body and mind freer and more resilient against the rigours of life as a professional musician
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Blogs
Variations on fast-forward: the extraordinary density of Émile Sauret's 24 Études-Caprices
Nazrin Rashidova’s encounter with the 19th-century French violinist’s music led her down a rabbit-hole of virtuosity and research – from which has come a PhD and a four-part recording project for Naxos
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Blogs
The 4 crucial components of a winning competition performance
Qian Zhou, jury chair of the Singapore International Violin Competition, gives some tips on what it takes to win a share of its $110,000 prize money – plus a bonus tip on the application process
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Blogs
From concept to sound: What judges look for in a violin making competition
Luthier Patrick Robin, one of the jury members of the International Violin Making Competition Prague, discusses how he goes about assessing an instrument
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Focus
‘I always go for bigger double bass sections’ - conductor Donald Runnicles
The Scottish conductor and music director of the Grand Teton Music Festival shares his preference for large double bass sections in his orchestras
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Blogs
Preparing for an orchestral audition: the basics
Gary Levinson, senior principal associate concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, sets out the principles of successful audition preparation
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Article
Tips for touring musicians - by Cincinnati Symphony concertmaster Timothy Lees
The violinist gives advice on staying grounded and rested, adjusting to different halls, and keeping each performance fresh during an orchestral concert tour
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Article
Violinist Ruggiero Ricci's three commandments - by former student Matthew Trusler
The British violinist - founder of Orchid Classics and co-artistic director of the Lincolnshire International Chamber Music Festival - shares the three main lessons he learned from his former teacher Ruggiero Ricci
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Article
5 ways for musicians to receive concert and festival bookings
Erik Christian Peterson and Emily Ondracek-Peterson - co-artistic directors of the Crested Butte Music Festival and members of the Voxare String Quartet - share five attributes presenters look for when booking musicians
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Article
How to cope with repertoire overload - cellist Michael Petrov
This year's Guildhall Wigmore Recital Prize winner shares his tips for physical and mental preparation, and time management
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Article
How the sale of a rediscovered Guarneri 'del Gesù' violin is helping to promote female composers
Pianist Diana Ambache explains how she came to set up the Ambache Charitable Trust with proceeds from the sale of a 1735 Guarneri del Gesù violin, discovered in her late father's collection
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Article
Becoming an early music specialist is not a cop-out. Here’s why...
Violinist and Illyria Consort founder Bojan Cicic offers advice for young players looking to investigate early music performance techniques more seriously
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Blogs
How to approach contemporary music, by violist Stephen Upshaw
The contemporary music specialist provides strategies for understanding and executing new works effectively