Violinist Gil Shaham describes being aged 13 and hearing for the first time Barber’s Violin Concerto, in a performance by violinist Kyoto Takezawa at Aspen Festival. ‘The Barber starts with this captivating cantabile melody, which thins and keeps going and going,’ he says. ’I can’t imagine a more accessible work. I remember thinking, I have to learn to play this piece.’

In association with The Strad magazine, Aspen Music Festival & School presents a six-part podcast series featuring interviews with leading string players talking about a moment of revelation from Aspen that changed their way of making music.

The six episodes appear on The Strad’s YouTube channel (search for Stradmagazine) and comprise the following episodes:

● Stefan Jackiw, ‘Write It Down!’

● Sarah Chang, ‘Bit Part, Big Night’

● Simone Porter, ‘Party!’

● Lynn Harrell, ‘My Father’s Son’

● Sylvia Rosenberg, ‘Piacevole’

● Gil Shaham, ‘Known Unknowns’

Visit www.aspenmusicfestival.com, www.thestrad.com and The Strad YouTube channel ‘Stradmagazine’.

Presented by James Inverne. Podcast editing by Timothy Burton. The podcasts feature short musical excerpts recorded at the festival, or by kind arrangement with Warner Classics, Canary Classics and others.

Photograph shows Gil Shaham with the Aspen Chamber Symphony conducted by Patrick Summers. Photo by Alex Irvin. 

This episode features musical excerpts from a recording of Bach’s Partita no.2 performed by Gil Shaham (Canary Classics).

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