All Editors pick articles – Page 5
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DebateIs playing the viola a different art from playing the violin?
Not so, according to Philip Dukes, who argues that the technical requirements of the instruments overlap considerably and players benefit from studying both
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Blogs6 mindfulness techniques for music teachers
Mindfulness is an invaluable tool for teaching students how to concentrate on-stage, improve awareness in the practice room, play pain-free, and move on from disappointing auditions or performance experiences, writes Dr. Travis Baird
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NewsFrancesco Goffriller cello stolen at knifepoint in France
Ophélie Gaillard was robbed of the on-loan cello, her own Persoit bow – and her mobile phone
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NewsAeroflot relents on hand-luggage rules following musicians' outcry
Russian musicians took to social media and petitions to alert airline to consequences of announcement last week
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NewsDavid Garrett cancels another month of concerts after suffering slipped disc
Ray Chen has stepped in for two London Philharmonic Orchestra concerts, while another three have been cancelled outright
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FocusAsk the Experts: buying a student's first full-size violin
What should parents think about when it comes to buying their child a full-sized instrument? As three seasoned tutors attest, there are many things to consider
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NewsPatricia Kopatchinskaja and Jennifer Higdon pick up 2018 Grammys
Higdon’s Viola Concerto earns her two trophies at 60th Grammy Awards with Kopatchinskaja’s the only one for a classical string player
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NewsFacebook engineer who died aged 33 creates fellowship to lend his Vuillaume violin to worthy talents
Eric Sun’s prized instrument will be made available via the Tarisio Trust Sun-Law Vuillaume Fellowship in two-year periods to talented musicians with a community-building proposal
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NewsNancy Zhou wins $50,000 first prize at International Music Competition Harbin
American violinist, 25, adds the Chinese accolade to a number of recent competition successes
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NewsObituary: viola and violin soloist Luigi Alberto Bianchi, 1945-2018
Menuhin protégé who in later years swapped fluidly between violin and viola, and whose career was punctuated by the thefts of two famous instruments
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NewsLuck holds out for violist whose instrument went missing twice in two months
RSNO member Fiona West and violinist colleague reunited with stolen instruments
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NewsViola da gamba travelling in the hold for Alitalia flight destroyed by baggage handlers
Instrument belonging to early music specialist Myrna Herzog could be beyond effective repair
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NewsRobert Mann, founding member of the Juilliard Quartet, dies aged 97
Robert Mann, photographed for the documentary Speak the Music: Robert Mann and the Mysteries of Chamber Music US violinist Robert Mann, a founding member of the Juilliard Quartet, died on New Year’s Day at the age of 97. A teacher at both Juilliard and the Manhattan School ...
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DebatePut yourself in your beginner students' shoes by trying to learn a new instrument from scratch
For most teachers the feeling of clumsiness associated with beginning an instrument from scratch is a distant memory. With the help of Grade1athons, however, it can all come flooding back, as violin tutor Naomi Yandell describes
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FocusMaking a carbon fibre bow in 10 steps – photo story
Founded in 1999, Arcus has developed a reputation for making lightweight, durable bows from non-traditional materials. Company director Bernd Müsing explains how a composite bow is made, from initial design to first hair fitting
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FocusAdvances in string manufacture: the latest developments
There are hundreds of strings available on the market already, and new releases seem never ending. But just why are these developments happening, how necessary are they, and how are musicians involved in that process? Pauline Harding asks string manufacturers and testers worldwide
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FocusProtection and portability: five of our favourite violin cases reviewed
The number of instrument cases available can make finding your perfect partner a daunting process. Charlotte Smith takes five cases by leading manufacturers BAM, For-Tune, Gewa, Musafia and Negri on the road to test security, mobility and the range of features available
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NewsA new work for viola by Shostakovich discovered in Moscow State Archives
The short work for viola and piano, the discovery of which was announced on the composer’s birthday, appears to have been written in one sitting in 1931
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ArticleFlying high: an El Sistema inspired music education programme in China
Inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema, China’s Wings of Music aims to bring dignity and self-belief to some of the country’s most deprived children. Nancy Pellegrini reports in this article from 2013
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FocusBlind testing Strads and Guarneris misses a fundamental point
Researchers who seek to compare Old Italian instruments with modern ones under scientific conditions don’t appreciate that the potential of a Strad is intrinsically entwined with its player, writes Frank Almond
