The Strad’s August 2015 issue is on sale now in which we celebrate the 70th birthday of Itzhak Perlman - the legendary violinist talks to Charlotte Smith about the importance of teaching to his career, and empowering the next generation of string players.

Elsewhere in the the issue, Roberto Regazzi delves into newspaper articles to discover the story of Alvina de Ferenczy, America's first professional female luthier, born 125 years ago; Toby Deller investigates the growing trend for entire orchestras to perform from memory; and Tully Potter looks back on the career of Lindsay Quartet co-founder and first violinist Peter Cropper, who died this year.

In our regular sections: In Focus gives a close-up view of an 1859 violin by Nicholas-François Vuillaume; Jenelle Steele discusses her method for salvaging worn pegs in Trade Secrets; Polish luthier Grzegorz Bobak invites us into his workshop in My Space; violist Rainer Moog guides us through Brahms's Viola Sonata, op.120 in Masterclass; cello professor Lynn Harrell gives tips on sound production in Technique; Moldovan violinist Alexandra Conunova takes us through her Practice Diary; luthiers give their opinions on what to look out for when choosing a new tailpiece in Ask the Experts; and violinist Rachel Barton Pine talks about Mozart's Violin Concerto no.3 as her Sentimental Work.

We also bring you news of the latest competitions, products and auctions, and comprehensive reviews of concerts, CDs and books.