All Focus articles – Page 20
-
FocusMy Experience: violinist Mia Stanton, Australian National Academy of Music
Violinist Mia Stanton talks about her time at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne, including the freedom to curate her own projects and make friends and colleagues for life
-
FocusThe Strad Podcast Episode #45: The New Zealand String Quartet on its 35th anniversary
‘Make sure the music is first and the ego last’ - words of advice from the long-standing ensemble
-
FocusMy Experience: cellist Begonia Chan, Whakatipu Music Festival
Begonia Chan speaks about her time at a unique artist development programme set among the breathtaking scenery of New Zealand’s South Island
-
FocusThe Strad Podcast Episode #44: Amit Peled on playing in cello choirs
The cellist speaks about the educational and professional benefits of playing in a massed ensemble
-
FocusSentimental Work: Arnold Steinhardt
For the former leader of the Guarneri Quartet, Schubert’s Fantasy in C major is one of the most life-affirming works in the repertoire, as well as a test of technical skill
-
FocusThe Strad Podcast Episode #43: Jan Vogler on music festivals
’They celebrate music, they celebrate friendship, they celebrate communication between different cultures’
-
FocusSentimental Work: Matt Haimovitz
For the cellist, Ligeti’s Sonata for Solo Cello was the doorway into the complex world of modern and non-classical music – with a little help from the composer himself
-
FocusOvercoming our addiction to tropical hardwoods: the latest alternatives
As ebony and rosewood become endangered, the likes of spruce, maple and boxwood are being scientifically modified to offer luthiers alternatives. Tom Stewart explores the brave new world of sustainable fittings
-
FocusThe Strad Podcast Episode #42: Kerenza Peacock on environmental awareness and musical connection
‘A violin was once a tree’ - the violinist speaks about the connection musicians have with the environment, as well as using music to drive environmental and social awareness
-
FocusThe Strad Podcast Episode #41: Ani Aznavoorian on Armenian music
’It’s our way of maintaining our culture and paying it forward to the next generation’
-
FocusIn the footsteps of masters: Postcard from Paris
As well as a rich selection of concerts and masterclasses, the Philharmonie de Paris’ tenth String Quartet Biennale included its first ever lutherie competition, as Mélissa Lesnie reports
-
Focus‘I had two identities’ - Baroque violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte
Our February 2022 issue cover star discusses his diverse musical influences, from musical theatre, modern Russian violin playing, to playing with the Baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants
-
FocusOpinion: Reset, refresh, restore
As teachers and pupils return to in-person lessons, cellist Naomi Yandell examines why it is more important than ever to re-examine students’ goals and priorities, and take nothing for granted
-
FocusThe Strad Podcast Episode #40: Naomi Yandell on teaching beginner bow holds
A must-listen episode for anyone flummoxed by the tricky concept of teaching new string players how to hold a bow
-
FocusSentimental Work: Christine Hoock
Mišek’s Double Bass Sonata no.2 has been by the German bassist’s side throughout her career – and helped to create a lot of friendships along the way
-
FocusMy experience: John Wright, Newark School of Violin Making
Luthier John Wright recalls his transition from violin playing to making, as well as how his time at the Newark School of Violin Making empowered him to stand up to a fear of failure in order to seek improvement
-
FocusWhat to do if your violin pegs keep slipping or sticking
Korinthia Klein presents a simple player’s guide to violin maintenance, without encroaching on luthiers’ territory
-
FocusThe Doric Quartet on switching to Classical bows
In this extract from their cover story in the August 2018 issue of The Strad, the British quartet discusses how a recent experiment with Classical bows has taken the players’ musicianship to new heights. Interview by Toby Deller
-
Focus‘A lower saddle, a Classical-style tailpiece and bridge, a tailgut and gut strings’
Violinist Rachel Podger and pianist Christopher Glynn share their thoughts on playing Beethoven Violin Sonatas with a period set-up in their latest recording
-
FocusThe Strad Podcast Episode #39: Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington on musical activism
’I didn’t have a choice, I had to play that piece’ - Kronos Quartet’s founding violinist on using music to speak out against injustice, as well as giving a voice to the voiceless
