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The directness of emotional communication: violinist Niklas Liepe on the works by Academy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman
Happy birthday Florence Price! Mount Vernon Virtuosi CelloGang performs String Quartet in G major
How mentoring has completely shaped my musical journey: NYO cellist Austin Thomas
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The directness of emotional communication: violinist Niklas Liepe on the works by Academy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman
Happy birthday Florence Price! Mount Vernon Virtuosi CelloGang performs String Quartet in G major
How mentoring has completely shaped my musical journey: NYO cellist Austin Thomas
Suki Lahav, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band violinist, dies at 74
Suki Lahav, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band violinist, dies at 74
National Orchestra of Pays de la Loire appoints new concertmaster
Guitar textures on the violin: Tomás Cotik performs Albéniz’s ‘Asturias’
14-year-old cellist wins the Classic Cello International Competition
Fibonacci Quartet wins €60,000 Merito Award
Opinion: Why students should rehearse with musicians other than their teachers
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell highlights how valuable and insightful it can be for string students to rehearse with a musician outside of their teacher – especially a pianist
Fear of winning: why preparation alone is not enough
It’s easy to understand how fear of failure can hinder a performance, but the unconscious fear of success can be just as destructive. Cellist Joanna Latała delves into what sport psychology already understands — and music still avoids
What in-tarnation? Exploring expressive intonation with cellist Michael Reynolds
Cellist Michael Reynolds shares the importance of expressive intonation, as well as practical intonation tips that should prevent your string quartet from disbanding!
Playing Hub
‘Paganini was a strange, fantastical man’ - From the Archive: April 1896
The celebrated French violinist Charles Dancla (1817–1907) shares his recollections of seeing Nicolò Paganini (1782–1840) perform while he was a youngster
Happy birthday Florence Price! Mount Vernon Virtuosi CelloGang performs String Quartet in G major
Florence Price was born on this day in 1887. Amit Peled and his cello students commemorate the American composer with an arrangement of her 1929 quartet for cello ensemble
How mentoring has completely shaped my musical journey: NYO cellist Austin Thomas
Austin Thomas, a 16-year-old cellist with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, outlines how he gains inspiration from those around him, ahead of the orchestra’s performances in Manchester and London
Guitar textures on the violin: Tomás Cotik performs Albéniz’s ‘Asturias’
Tomás Cotik performs Albéniz’s Asturias in a transcription for solo violin and discusses some of the technical challenges of bringing this guitar classic to the violin, reflecting on his personal connection to Spanish music, shaped in part by his Fulbright sabbatical year in Spain
Striving to create a truly special sound world: the Tippett Quartet brings to life works by film composers Gunning and Herrmann
Violinist Jeremy Isaac from the Tippett Quartet reflects on its upcoming recital at the London Soundtrack Festival 2026, where the ensemble will perform two concert works by leading composers for film
‘Prokofiev in a mosh pit’ – ORBI’s arrangement of Muse’s Unsustainable
Double bassist Rick Stotijn and his band share a track from their new album, The Age of Greed
Premium ❘ Feature
Yehudi Menuhin 110th anniversary: music with friends
To mark the 110th anniversary of Yehudi Menuhin’s birth on 22 April 1916, Tully Potter presents an overview of the great violinist’s numerous chamber music partnerships and their recordings
Premium ❘ Feature
Rudolf Neudörfer: guardian of a lineage
The German bow maker Rudolf Neudörfer celebrates his 90th birthday next month. Gennady Filimonov looks back at his life and career, exploring the Neudörfer dynasty of makers and examining his bows
Premium ❘ Feature
Yehudi Menuhin 110th anniversary: music with friends
To mark the 110th anniversary of Yehudi Menuhin’s birth on 22 April 1916, Tully Potter presents an overview of the great violinist’s numerous chamber music partnerships and their recordings
Premium ❘ Focus
Postcard from Boca Raton: 2026 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition
At the 2026 edition of the Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition in Florida, Martin Goldman found the standard was higher than ever
Premium ❘ Focus
Opinion: Why students should rehearse with musicians other than their teachers
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell highlights how valuable and insightful it can be for string students to rehearse with a musician outside of their teacher – especially a pianist
Competitions
14-year-old cellist wins the Classic Cello International Competition
South Korean cellist Jung A Kim won the €50,000 first prize
German Music Competition announces winners for 2026
German cellist Constantin Heise receives €5,000, concert engagements, and a CD recording opportunity
Haslemere International String Competition announces 2026 winners
British violinist Sofia Demetriades wins £3,000 and a performance engagement with the English Chamber Orchestra
Premium ❘ News
Competitions, Awards and Appointments: April 2026
The latest competition results, appointments and forthcoming contests
Premium ❘ News
Premiere of the Month: Aziza Sadikova’s new concerto for two double basses
A new double concerto channels the emotions of war
Masterclass: Bruch Violin Concerto no.1, second movement
Bella Hristova outlines the importance of pacing oneself and creating a hierarchy of intensity in this popular slow movement
Masterclass: Beethoven String Quartet no.11 op.95 ‘Serioso’, first movement
This whirlwind movement represents a turbulent time in the composer’s life, evident in the work’s relentless momentum and extreme characters, says Ariel Quartet cellist Amit Even-Tov
Masterclass: Bruch Violin Concerto no.1, second movement
Bella Hristova outlines the importance of pacing oneself and creating a hierarchy of intensity in this popular slow movement
Masterclass: Beethoven String Quartet no.11 op.95 ‘Serioso’, first movement
This whirlwind movement represents a turbulent time in the composer’s life, evident in the work’s relentless momentum and extreme characters, says Ariel Quartet cellist Amit Even-Tov
Masterclass: Hoffmeister Viola Concerto in D major, first movement
Knowledge of the Classical style, technical proficiency and musical creativity are keys to making this movement successful beyond audition preparation, says violist Louise Lansdown
The Strad Podcast: How to tailor the Suzuki Method to different students with violinist Meghan Faw
The violinist shares her personal experiences with the method as both a student and a teacher
The Strad Podcast: How to hold a masterclass with violinist Paul Huang
The violinist speaks about his teaching approaches in a unique learning experience, in the third part of our four-part education-themed podcast series
The Strad Podcast: How to teach collaborative skills with violinist Annie Fullard of the Cavani Quartet
‘We should live in a chamber music world’ - the violinist speaks about the importance of collaboration inside and outside of the practice room, in the second episode of our four-part education-themed podcast series
The Strad Podcast: How to practise effectively with violinist Ray Chen
The first in our new four-part education themed podcast series features our September 2024 cover star
The Strad Podcast: How to tailor the Suzuki Method to different students with violinist Meghan Faw
The violinist shares her personal experiences with the method as both a student and a teacher
The Strad Podcast: How to hold a masterclass with violinist Paul Huang
The violinist speaks about his teaching approaches in a unique learning experience, in the third part of our four-part education-themed podcast series
The Strad Podcast: How to teach collaborative skills with violinist Annie Fullard of the Cavani Quartet
‘We should live in a chamber music world’ - the violinist speaks about the importance of collaboration inside and outside of the practice room, in the second episode of our four-part education-themed podcast series
Competitions
14-year-old cellist wins the Classic Cello International Competition
South Korean cellist Jung A Kim won the €50,000 first prize
German Music Competition announces winners for 2026
German cellist Constantin Heise receives €5,000, concert engagements, and a CD recording opportunity
Haslemere International String Competition announces 2026 winners
British violinist Sofia Demetriades wins £3,000 and a performance engagement with the English Chamber Orchestra
Happy birthday Florence Price! Mount Vernon Virtuosi CelloGang performs String Quartet in G major
Florence Price was born on this day in 1887. Amit Peled and his cello students commemorate the American composer with an arrangement of her 1929 quartet for cello ensemble
Happy birthday Florence Price! Mount Vernon Virtuosi CelloGang performs String Quartet in G major
Guitar textures on the violin: Tomás Cotik performs Albéniz’s ‘Asturias’
‘Prokofiev in a mosh pit’ – ORBI’s arrangement of Muse’s Unsustainable
‘This piece has everything a violinist can ask for’: Frank Peter Zimmermann on the Elgar Violin Concerto
Video premiere: Édith Piaf’s ‘Hymne à l’amour’ for eight cellos performed by the SCS Cello Ensemble
Cellist John-Henry Crawford performs Ravel’s ‘Pavane pour une infante défunte’
Michael Stephen Brown gives the viola the spotlight in a new work
The violin technique that shouldn’t exist: MinutePhysics explains Roman Kim’s harmonics technique
Jupiter Quartet performs Ginastera’s String Quartet no.1
Amy Beach’s Romance op.23 for double bass and piano
- Previous
- Next
Rudolf Neudörfer: guardian of a lineage
The German bow maker Rudolf Neudörfer celebrates his 90th birthday next month. Gennady Filimonov looks back at his life and career, exploring the Neudörfer dynasty of makers and examining his bows
My Space: Andreas Hampel and Susanne Riebesehl’s Hamburg workshop
The two luthiers present their German workshop
Making Matters: How to make a lighter viola
For some violists, playing on a lighter instrument is their holy grail. Laurent Zakowsky describes his methods to accomplish this, from thinning the back to changing the chinrest
Trade Secrets: Final scroll refinement
Some notes on finishing off one of the trickiest parts of the making process
In Focus: A 1695 viola by Christian Reichelt
Klaus Martius and Enrico Weller examine the Bohemian maker’s instrument
‘A Strad can throw you off’: Frank Peter Zimmermann on his instruments and bows
Our April 2026 cover star discusses the tools of his trade
Rudolf Neudörfer: guardian of a lineage
The German bow maker Rudolf Neudörfer celebrates his 90th birthday next month. Gennady Filimonov looks back at his life and career, exploring the Neudörfer dynasty of makers and examining his bows
My Space: Andreas Hampel and Susanne Riebesehl’s Hamburg workshop
The two luthiers present their German workshop
Making Matters: How to make a lighter viola
For some violists, playing on a lighter instrument is their holy grail. Laurent Zakowsky describes his methods to accomplish this, from thinning the back to changing the chinrest
Trade Secrets: Final scroll refinement
Some notes on finishing off one of the trickiest parts of the making process
In Focus: A 1695 viola by Christian Reichelt
Klaus Martius and Enrico Weller examine the Bohemian maker’s instrument
‘A Strad can throw you off’: Frank Peter Zimmermann on his instruments and bows
Our April 2026 cover star discusses the tools of his trade
Concert review: Augustin Hadelich (violin) Philadelphia Orchestra/Dalia Stasevska
Bruce Hodges hears the performance of Barber, Adams and Mahler at Philadelphia’s Marian Anderson Hall on 10 January 2026
Concert review: Yo-Yo Ma (cello) Philadelphia Orchestra/Dalia Stasevska
Bruce Hodges visits Philadelphia’s Marian Anderson Hall on 14 January 2026 for the performance of Dvořák, Skoryk, Akimenko and Mendelssohn
Concert review: Laura Samuel Memorial Concert
Hattie Butterworth attends the tribute to the respected violinist at London’s Wigmore Hall on 4 January 2026, featuring works by Haydn, Brahms, Mendelssohn and David Raksin
Miriam Prandi: Bach
Subtlety of approach allows an Italian to stand out
Thomas Christian Ensemble: Bittner
A lawyer-turned-composer proves disappointingly conservative
Adorno Quartet: Castelnuovo-Tedesco
A guitar great proves his mettle in the quintet medium
Book review: Harmonising Cultural Leadership in Professional Orchestras
Arts consultant Mark Pemberton reads Samuel Cairnduff’s new publication on leadership in orchestral ensembles
Book review: Viva Casals! Sayings, stories and impressions of Pablo Casals
Tully Potter reads Julian Lloyd Webber’s tome collecting together the wit and wisdom of the iconic 20th-century cellist Pablo Casals
Book review: Concertmaster Leadership: A guide for violinists
Nathaniel Vallois reads Marjory Serrano-Coyer’s guide for aspiring concertmasters to get the best out of their section, from technique and style to diplomatic attributes
Debate
Opinion: Why students should rehearse with musicians other than their teachers
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell highlights how valuable and insightful it can be for string students to rehearse with a musician outside of their teacher – especially a pianist
Opinion: why string players should pay attention to large muscle groups
Fleet fingers may be the ultimate goal for string players, but it’s the larger muscle groups that form the foundations of solid technique, says cellist Davina Shum
Debate
Opinion: Why students should rehearse with musicians other than their teachers
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell highlights how valuable and insightful it can be for string students to rehearse with a musician outside of their teacher – especially a pianist
Opinion: why string players should pay attention to large muscle groups
Fleet fingers may be the ultimate goal for string players, but it’s the larger muscle groups that form the foundations of solid technique, says cellist Davina Shum
Accessories
Products April 2026: Jargar Eccentric violin and cello strings
The new set offers a more focused sound
Products April 2026: Dolfinos rosin
A new hypoallergenic rosin that creates less dust
Products April 2026: Schilbach digital calliper
The calliper measures 150mm and is corrosion-free
Concert review: Augustin Hadelich (violin) Philadelphia Orchestra/Dalia Stasevska
Bruce Hodges hears the performance of Barber, Adams and Mahler at Philadelphia’s Marian Anderson Hall on 10 January 2026
Concert review: Yo-Yo Ma (cello) Philadelphia Orchestra/Dalia Stasevska
Bruce Hodges visits Philadelphia’s Marian Anderson Hall on 14 January 2026 for the performance of Dvořák, Skoryk, Akimenko and Mendelssohn
Concert review: Laura Samuel Memorial Concert
Hattie Butterworth attends the tribute to the respected violinist at London’s Wigmore Hall on 4 January 2026, featuring works by Haydn, Brahms, Mendelssohn and David Raksin
Book review: Harmonising Cultural Leadership in Professional Orchestras
Arts consultant Mark Pemberton reads Samuel Cairnduff’s new publication on leadership in orchestral ensembles
Book review: Viva Casals! Sayings, stories and impressions of Pablo Casals
Tully Potter reads Julian Lloyd Webber’s tome collecting together the wit and wisdom of the iconic 20th-century cellist Pablo Casals
Book review: Concertmaster Leadership: A guide for violinists
Nathaniel Vallois reads Marjory Serrano-Coyer’s guide for aspiring concertmasters to get the best out of their section, from technique and style to diplomatic attributes
Miriam Prandi: Bach
Subtlety of approach allows an Italian to stand out
Thomas Christian Ensemble: Bittner
A lawyer-turned-composer proves disappointingly conservative
Adorno Quartet: Castelnuovo-Tedesco
A guitar great proves his mettle in the quintet medium
Artists
Yehudi Menuhin 110th anniversary: music with friends
To mark the 110th anniversary of Yehudi Menuhin’s birth on 22 April 1916, Tully Potter presents an overview of the great violinist’s numerous chamber music partnerships and their recordings
‘Never just the notes’: the musical and teaching legacy of Igor Ozim
The violinist and pedagogue Igor Ozim died on 23 March 2024. Two years on, Dijana Ihas writes about his legacy to commemorate a teacher whose seven‑decade career shaped generations of musicians through his analytical clarity, uncompromising discipline and deep commitment to musical expression
Nemanja Radulović: music in the moment
Charismatic Serbian violinist Nemanja Radulović chats to Charlotte Gardner about the importance of artistic freedom and musical friendships, and recording his latest album of music by Prokofiev
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