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![[1st prize] Poiesis Quartet in round 3 (2)](https://dnan0fzjxntrj.cloudfront.net/Pictures/274x183/1/9/5/41195_1stprizepoiesisquartetinround32_547631.jpg)
Kate Gregory and Brendan Hearn: Old time roots, fresh voices for fiddle and cello
Ray Ushikubo loaned 1741 Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violin
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra mourns double bassist and music animateur
‘Something deeply human and expressive breaks through’: Leila Josefowicz on the violin concerto of Thomas Adès
‘Something deeply human and expressive breaks through’: Leila Josefowicz on the violin concerto of Thomas Adès
Violinist Geraldine O’Grady dies aged 93
WATCH LIVE: Concours de Genève viola finals
December 2025: Editor’s welcome and contents
How cellist Willemijn Knödler is raising awareness for NF1 through music
Search launched for the violin of Holocaust victim Hélène Berr
The musician and diarist perished in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945 aged 24
Danish National Symphony Orchestra appoints new concertmaster
Norwegian violinist Ludvig Gudim, 26, has officially passed his trial period with the orchestra
Grancino violin and two bows stolen from Dutch train
The instrument and bows, which belong to Ryo Terakado, were in a triangular blue case
Playing Hub
How cellist Willemijn Knödler is raising awareness for NF1 through music
The Dutch cellist is releasing her album of works by composers named ‘George’ in honour of her six-year-old son of the same name, who suffers from the rare genetic condition Neurofibromatosis type 1
Concert review: Tafelmusik with Rachel Podger (violin)
US correspondent Thomas May hears Rachel Podger and Tafelmusik in a spirited showcase of Baroque brilliance presented by Early Music Seattle on 8 November 2025
Singing lines and quiet endings: Santiago Cañón-Valencia revives Tobias Picker’s cello concerto
The Colombian cellist shares his thoughts on Tobias Picker’s Cello Concerto, his passion for new music and the discipline of sustaining an authentic voice on a global stage.
A youthful spirit: violinist Johan Dalene
The young Swedish violin virtuoso Johan Dalene speaks to Jessica Duchen about his evolution as a musician, his passion for contemporary music and his latest album that pairs the Bruch and Mendelssohn concertos
A lasting relationship: the Ariel Quartet performs Beethoven op.59 no.3
The ensemble presents an al fresco performance of the third Razumovsky quartet, as it releases its second instalment of complete Beethoven string quartet recordings
Anna Urpina: uncovering Baroque works by female composers
The violinist, who specialises in both Baroque and modern playing, shares details on her new album shining a light on forgotten composers, Le Chant des Muses
Premium ❘ Feature
Forms follow function: early Stradivari violin patterns
Unlike his contemporaries, Antonio Stradivari was trying out different violin patterns from the start of his career as a luthier. Philip Ihle examines a number of his early violins to discover how his art evolved
Premium ❘ Feature
A youthful spirit: violinist Johan Dalene
The young Swedish violin virtuoso Johan Dalene speaks to Jessica Duchen about his evolution as a musician, his passion for contemporary music and his latest album that pairs the Bruch and Mendelssohn concertos
Premium ❘ Feature
Forms follow function: early Stradivari violin patterns
Unlike his contemporaries, Antonio Stradivari was trying out different violin patterns from the start of his career as a luthier. Philip Ihle examines a number of his early violins to discover how his art evolved
Premium ❘ Focus
Opinion: Duets as a teaching tool
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell outlines the reasons why duet playing is an essential tool in one-to-one instrumental teaching
Premium ❘ Focus
‘Positivity goes a much longer way than negativity’ - Melissa White’s life lessons
The American violinist on having inspirational tutors, the power of positivity and the need for risk-taking
Competitions
Winners announced for the 2025 Young Concert Artists auditions
The auditions identify three exceptional early-career artists and offers them a three-year career mentorship programme
Mirecourt International Violin Competition winners announced
South Korean violinist Seonglan Hong receives the €5,000 first prize and performance opportunities
Winners announced at the 2025 Isang Yun Cello Competition
Korean cellist Youbien Lee received both first prize and the UNESCO City of Music Special Prize
Premium ❘ News
Competitions, Awards and Appointments: December 2025
The latest competition results, appointments and forthcoming contests
Premium ❘ News
Premiere of the Month: Josephine Stephenson’s new work featuring Nicolas Altstaedt
A work that takes on the topic of climate change
Masterclass: Brahms Violin Concerto, second movement
The feeling of rhetoric and a stream of consciousness must be represented when approaching this movement, says violinist Liza Ferschtman
Masterclass: Dvořák Romance in F minor op.11
Violinist Grace Park examines ways of creating nuance and variety in this seemingly simple piece, which is imbued with folk elements characteristic of Dvořák’s heritage
Masterclass: Brahms Violin Concerto, second movement
The feeling of rhetoric and a stream of consciousness must be represented when approaching this movement, says violinist Liza Ferschtman
Masterclass: Dvořák Romance in F minor op.11
Violinist Grace Park examines ways of creating nuance and variety in this seemingly simple piece, which is imbued with folk elements characteristic of Dvořák’s heritage
Masterclass: Ysaÿe’s Rêve d’enfant op.14 for violin and piano
Violinist Nancy Zhou demonstrates the breadth of Ysaÿe’s expressive devices in an intimate piece dedicated to his son
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
Winners announced for the 2025 Young Concert Artists auditions
The auditions identify three exceptional early-career artists and offers them a three-year career mentorship programme
Mirecourt International Violin Competition winners announced
South Korean violinist Seonglan Hong receives the €5,000 first prize and performance opportunities
Winners announced at the 2025 Isang Yun Cello Competition
Korean cellist Youbien Lee received both first prize and the UNESCO City of Music Special Prize
WATCH LIVE: Concours de Genève viola finals
The three viola finalists will perform the competition’s compulsory work, plus a concerto of their choice on 12 November
WATCH LIVE: Concours de Genève viola finals
A lasting relationship: the Ariel Quartet performs Beethoven op.59 no.3
A tribute to Mr Menuhin: an encore performance from Edinburgh International Festival
‘A vast expressive range’: violinist Stanislav Pronin performs Der Rosenkavalier on Heifetz’s violin
Anna Štube performs Ernest Kanitz’s Violin Sonata
Paganini’s Mosè Fantasy: bel canto and virtuosity on only one string
Colin Alexander: from resembling to reassembling the human voice on the cello
A cello distortion rock-up: Zoë Martlew performs ‘G-lude’
Bach’s Sixth Suite Prelude on five-stringed baroque cello
New video: Yo-Yo Ma and Icelandic choir perform ‘Earth Hymn’
- Previous
- Next
Forms follow function: early Stradivari violin patterns
Unlike his contemporaries, Antonio Stradivari was trying out different violin patterns from the start of his career as a luthier. Philip Ihle examines a number of his early violins to discover how his art evolved
The Strad Calendar 2026: 1699 ‘Dubois’ Antonio Stradivari cello
With a fine red-brown varnish, this cello may have been made with wood from the same tree as the famed ’Cristiani, Stauffer’
Half a century of craft at the Chicago School of Violin Making
The Chicago School of Violin Making looks back on a legacy that began with Tschu Ho Lee and the Warren family. Executive director Antoine Nédélec reflects on CSVM’s craft, community and continuing influence
The Strad Calendar 2026: 1773–78 ‘Crafoord’ Guadagnini viola
The back of this viola is made from two pieces of bird’s-eye maple cut on the slab, with a faint figure running more or less horizontally
Sing the body electric: early amplified instruments
The 1920s saw a demand for louder, more resonant instruments, and resourceful violin makers rose to the challenge. Clifford Hall looks at some of the innovative solutions they came up with
My Space: Vinay Murali’s Chendamangalam workshop
The maker gives us a tour of his workshop in India
Forms follow function: early Stradivari violin patterns
Unlike his contemporaries, Antonio Stradivari was trying out different violin patterns from the start of his career as a luthier. Philip Ihle examines a number of his early violins to discover how his art evolved
The Strad Calendar 2026: 1699 ‘Dubois’ Antonio Stradivari cello
With a fine red-brown varnish, this cello may have been made with wood from the same tree as the famed ’Cristiani, Stauffer’
Half a century of craft at the Chicago School of Violin Making
The Chicago School of Violin Making looks back on a legacy that began with Tschu Ho Lee and the Warren family. Executive director Antoine Nédélec reflects on CSVM’s craft, community and continuing influence
The Strad Calendar 2026: 1773–78 ‘Crafoord’ Guadagnini viola
The back of this viola is made from two pieces of bird’s-eye maple cut on the slab, with a faint figure running more or less horizontally
Sing the body electric: early amplified instruments
The 1920s saw a demand for louder, more resonant instruments, and resourceful violin makers rose to the challenge. Clifford Hall looks at some of the innovative solutions they came up with
My Space: Vinay Murali’s Chendamangalam workshop
The maker gives us a tour of his workshop in India
Concert review: Johan Dalene (violin) Danish Philharmonic Orchestra Sønderborg/Andris Poga
Andrew Mellor visits the Alsion Concert Hall in Sønderborg, Sweden, on 11 September 2025 for the performance of Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Ysaÿe
Concert review: Tabea Zimmermann (viola) Ensemble Resonanz
Carlos Maria Solare attends the performance of Enescu, Bartók and Lili Boulanger at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany, on 12 September 2025
Concert review: Jack Quartet
Bruce Hodges hears the performance of Rand Steiger’s ‘Introspective Trilogy’ at New York’s Mary Flagler Cary Hall on 12 August 2025
Trio Lirico: Spanish Piano Quartets
Utterly committed performances bring these Spaniards to life
Charlie Siem: Brahms, Enescu
Plenty of personality but a short-measure album
Ida Haendel: Brahms, Britten, Elgar, Sibelius
Four concertos celebrate a great violinist in her extended prime
Book review: John Williams: A Composer’s Life
Brian Hodges reviews Tim Greiving’s monumental biography of America’s foremost film composer
Book review: A Cultural History of the Violin in Nineteenth-Century London: From Instrument to Art
Robin Stowell reads Tom Wilder’s socio-economic analysis of the violin’s status as a cultural artefact throughout the Victorian era
Book review: The Eyes of Bach
Raphael Klayman reads Marc Moskovitz’s historical novel imagining the great composer’s relationship with cellist Carl Friedrich Barth
Debate
Opinion: Duets as a teaching tool
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell outlines the reasons why duet playing is an essential tool in one-to-one instrumental teaching
Why you should stop and think before you play
Violinist and Suzuki pedagogue Helen Brunner advocates for a thoughtful, step-by-step approach to practice
Debate
Opinion: Duets as a teaching tool
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell outlines the reasons why duet playing is an essential tool in one-to-one instrumental teaching
Why you should stop and think before you play
Violinist and Suzuki pedagogue Helen Brunner advocates for a thoughtful, step-by-step approach to practice
Accessories
Products December 2025: D’Addario Micro Rechargeable Tuner for violin and viola
The tuner features a multi-colour display and fast pitch response
Products December 2025: Larsen Il Cannone Silver violin strings
A shiny new addition to the Il Cannone line
Products December 2025: Müsing L Series viola, cello and bass bows
The company has completed its L series with three new bows
Concert review: Johan Dalene (violin) Danish Philharmonic Orchestra Sønderborg/Andris Poga
Andrew Mellor visits the Alsion Concert Hall in Sønderborg, Sweden, on 11 September 2025 for the performance of Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Ysaÿe
Concert review: Tabea Zimmermann (viola) Ensemble Resonanz
Carlos Maria Solare attends the performance of Enescu, Bartók and Lili Boulanger at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany, on 12 September 2025
Concert review: Jack Quartet
Bruce Hodges hears the performance of Rand Steiger’s ‘Introspective Trilogy’ at New York’s Mary Flagler Cary Hall on 12 August 2025
Book review: John Williams: A Composer’s Life
Brian Hodges reviews Tim Greiving’s monumental biography of America’s foremost film composer
Book review: A Cultural History of the Violin in Nineteenth-Century London: From Instrument to Art
Robin Stowell reads Tom Wilder’s socio-economic analysis of the violin’s status as a cultural artefact throughout the Victorian era
Book review: The Eyes of Bach
Raphael Klayman reads Marc Moskovitz’s historical novel imagining the great composer’s relationship with cellist Carl Friedrich Barth
Trio Lirico: Spanish Piano Quartets
Utterly committed performances bring these Spaniards to life
Charlie Siem: Brahms, Enescu
Plenty of personality but a short-measure album
Ida Haendel: Brahms, Britten, Elgar, Sibelius
Four concertos celebrate a great violinist in her extended prime
Artists
A youthful spirit: violinist Johan Dalene
The young Swedish violin virtuoso Johan Dalene speaks to Jessica Duchen about his evolution as a musician, his passion for contemporary music and his latest album that pairs the Bruch and Mendelssohn concertos
The greatest storyteller: Itzhak Perlman at 80
As he turns 80, the legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman speaks to Ariane Todes about everything from his stellar career to his teaching ethos, and his approach to social media stardom
Yo-Yo Ma: celebrating 70 years of the eminent cellist
The legendary cellist was born on 7 October 1955. We take a look at some moments of the cellist’s unparalleled career over the decades
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