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Calls to end NDA misuse grow as violinist speaks out about sexual assault allegations
Will Smith sued by tour violinist for sexual harassment and wrongful termination
‘The closest thing to the human voice’: violinist Stella Chen on her Strads
Arnaud Sussmann: the importance of chamber music across generations
Obituary: violinist Natalia Boyarsky (1946–2025)
The prominent pedagogue, who taught numerous renowned violinists, was 79
Lufthansa apologises to violinist Carolin Widmann following Guadagnini incident
The violinist shared on social media that she had filed three complaints with the airline and subsequently received several apologies
Instrument policy clash with gate staff leaves violinist holding two bare violins on BA flight
Aviapartner gate staff refused to let Bojan Čičić on to a recent British Airways flight with his double violin case, despite it being within the airline’s allowed dimensions
Playing Hub
Bella Hristova: Milestones with Jaime Laredo at Carnegie Hall
Ahead of a performance with the New York String Orchestra on 28 December, violinist Bella Hristova reflects on Jaime Laredo’s influence on her career, as he prepares to conduct the ensemble for the final time
‘A salve for the soul’: Anne Akiko Meyers plays music by Eric Whitacre
US violinist Anne Akiko Meyers discusses Eric Whitacre’s The Pacific Has No Memory, a new piece responding to the Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025
Standing on great shoulders: the Lakatos dynasty
The Lakatos family has long been synonymous with Gypsy violin playing. Erika Nyerges looks at the key figures of this generations-old musical dynasty, meeting Sándor Déki Lakatos along the way and discovering what it takes to become a Roma musician
Stella Chen: a bright future
The American violinist chats with Rebecca Franks about her philosophy of playing and teaching, studying at Harvard, her experience of winning the Queen Elisabeth Competition and her new album, which marks a fresh chapter in her career
Postcard from Munich: Hindemith International Viola Competition
Carlos María Solare reports from the wide-ranging and eventful second edition of the Hindemith International Viola Competition
Composing music for the 2026 Winter Olympics: Andrea Farri
The musical director for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony speaks about the guiding concept of ‘Armonia’ or harmony, plus how string act as connective tissue between tradition and modernity
Premium ❘ Feature
Session Report: Violinist Ning Feng on recording the Goldmark and Brahms violin concertos
Violinist Ning Feng speaks to Harry White about recording two contrasting 19th-century concertos – Goldmark’s First and Brahms’s mighty warhorse – and how he strives to serve the voice of the composer above all
Premium ❘ Feature
Iberian lutherie guilds: Tradition and Innovation
Instrument making in the Iberian peninsula was once tightly controlled by a network of guilds. Pablo Soriano examines regulations and personal documents to reveal the details of luthiers’ working lives
Premium ❘ Feature
Session Report: Violinist Ning Feng on recording the Goldmark and Brahms violin concertos
Violinist Ning Feng speaks to Harry White about recording two contrasting 19th-century concertos – Goldmark’s First and Brahms’s mighty warhorse – and how he strives to serve the voice of the composer above all
Premium ❘ Focus
Sentimental Work: Sol Gabetta on Servais’ Souvenir de Spa
As well as being a 19th-century masterpiece, the Souvenir de Spa by Adrien-François Servais helped the Argentine cellist discover the sound world of the pioneering musician Lise Cristiani
Premium ❘ Focus
‘What we do is a miraculous connection to others’ - Peter Sheppard Skærved’s life lessons
The British violinist on a musician’s duty and the importance of community
Competitions
Competitors announced for Michael Hill International Violin Competition 2026
16 quarter-finalists will compete in Queenstown and Auckland, New Zealand, in May and June 2026 for a prize pool valued at over NZD$100,000
Terra Quartet wins 2025 Naumburg Chamber Music Competition
The quartet wins $15,000, plus performance and recording opportunities
Results of the Seoul International Music Competition announced
Korean violinist Hyunjae Lim won first prize worth USD50,000
Premium ❘ News
Premiere of the Month: Tamar-kali’s new work for the Miró Quartet
Harlem Renaissance poetry takes centre stage in a new chamber work
Premium ❘ News
Competitions, Awards and Appointments: January 2026
The latest competition results, appointments and forthcoming contests
Masterclass: Brahms Cello Sonata no.1 in E minor op.38, third movement
This fugal final movement requires elements of restraint where climaxes must be managed carefully, says cellist Steffan Morris
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: Brahms Cello Sonata no.1 in E minor op.38, third movement
This fugal final movement requires elements of restraint where climaxes must be managed carefully, says cellist Steffan Morris
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
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
Competitors announced for Michael Hill International Violin Competition 2026
16 quarter-finalists will compete in Queenstown and Auckland, New Zealand, in May and June 2026 for a prize pool valued at over NZD$100,000
Terra Quartet wins 2025 Naumburg Chamber Music Competition
The quartet wins $15,000, plus performance and recording opportunities
Results of the Seoul International Music Competition announced
Korean violinist Hyunjae Lim won first prize worth USD50,000
Video: Richard Tognetti performs at the top of Sydney Opera House
The artistic director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra played Fratres by Arvo Pärt on the iconic building to celebrate 50 years since the ensemble’s first concert
Video: Richard Tognetti performs at the top of Sydney Opera House
Hina & Fiona perform Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia for two violins
‘You feel the presence and breath of a fifth person’ - The Elmire Quartet on its debut ‘Rasumovsky’ Quartets album
A cello, a zipline and a drone: how Gautier Capuçon’s Alpine music video was filmed
’Unapologetic passion: Delirium Musicum presents ‘Danse Macabre’
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
- Previous
- Next
‘The closest thing to the human voice’: violinist Stella Chen on her Strads
Our January 2026 cover star discusses the Stradivari violins she has played throughout her career
In Focus: 1821 violin by Carl Nicolaus Sawicki
Wolfhart Schuster an instrument by the Polish maker
Making Matters: How to make a big-sounding viola for smaller players
Maj-Lisa Herzberg presents her innovative solution to the question of how to build a big-sounding viola for a small person
‘Create what you are called to create’: catching up with Anne Harris and Amanda Ewing on their commissioned collaboration
The Strad catches up with Anne Harris and Amanda Ewing on their player/luthier collaboration that resulted in the first instrument commission between two African American women
Obituary: violin maker Andrew Fairfax (1953–2025)
John Dilworth pays tribute to the British luthier, restorer and expert, who died on 9 December
The Strad Calendar 2026: 2019 Octobass
Standing 11 feet 8 inches tall, the instrument was built by luthier Jean-Jacques Pagès and is now played by Eric Chappell of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
‘The closest thing to the human voice’: violinist Stella Chen on her Strads
Our January 2026 cover star discusses the Stradivari violins she has played throughout her career
In Focus: 1821 violin by Carl Nicolaus Sawicki
Wolfhart Schuster an instrument by the Polish maker
Making Matters: How to make a big-sounding viola for smaller players
Maj-Lisa Herzberg presents her innovative solution to the question of how to build a big-sounding viola for a small person
‘Create what you are called to create’: catching up with Anne Harris and Amanda Ewing on their commissioned collaboration
The Strad catches up with Anne Harris and Amanda Ewing on their player/luthier collaboration that resulted in the first instrument commission between two African American women
Obituary: violin maker Andrew Fairfax (1953–2025)
John Dilworth pays tribute to the British luthier, restorer and expert, who died on 9 December
The Strad Calendar 2026: 2019 Octobass
Standing 11 feet 8 inches tall, the instrument was built by luthier Jean-Jacques Pagès and is now played by Eric Chappell of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Concert review: Jeffrey Zeigler (cello)
Leah Hollingsworth ventures into the Green-Wood Cemetery Catacombs in New York for the performances of works by Paola Prestini on 1–3 October 2025
Concert review: New York Philharmonic Ensembles
Leah Hollingsworth hears the performance of Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall on 30 September 2025
Concert review: Pinchas Zukerman (violin) Israel Philharmonic/Lahav Shani
Leah Hollingsworth visits Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, New York, on 15 October 2025 for the performance of Prokofiev, Ben-Haim and Tchaikovsky
The Strad Recommends: Nicola Benedetti: Violin Café
Character aplenty in an imaginative album led by a beloved violinist
The Strad Recommends: Johan Dalene: Bruch, Mendelssohn, Vaughan Williams
Ravishing new accounts breathe life into a favourite pairing
Renée Chemet: Handel, Lalo, Tartini et al
A stylish French violinist is rediscovered
Book review: The Music Inside Us: Yo-Yo Ma and His Gifts to the World
Pauline Harding reads a picture book by James Howe and Jack Wong all about the renowned cellist’s life and career
Book review: Dynamite Strings
Alex Laing reads Georgina Leach’s books for beginner violinists, violists and cellists
Book review: Hungarian ‘Gypsy-Band’ Music in Vienna, 1850–1914: The Csárdás Craze
Robin Stowell reads Jon Banks’s history of the rise of Romani music in 19th-century Vienna
Debate
Opinion: How a performing career and teaching work hand in hand
Can performers sustain their own careers while also teaching students at a high level? Violinist Irina Rostomashvili believes it is not only possible, but essential
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
Debate
Opinion: How a performing career and teaching work hand in hand
Can performers sustain their own careers while also teaching students at a high level? Violinist Irina Rostomashvili believes it is not only possible, but essential
Accessories
Products January 2026: Pirastro Perpetual Stark A and E Double Bass Strings
Pirastro completes the Stark version of the Perpetual double bass range
Products January 2026: Gewa Wittner Float on Air System
A rest system designed for better sound and maximum adjustability
Products January 2026: Guardelli Sound Modulator
A new product to help eliminate wolf notes
Concert review: Jeffrey Zeigler (cello)
Leah Hollingsworth ventures into the Green-Wood Cemetery Catacombs in New York for the performances of works by Paola Prestini on 1–3 October 2025
Concert review: New York Philharmonic Ensembles
Leah Hollingsworth hears the performance of Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall on 30 September 2025
Concert review: Pinchas Zukerman (violin) Israel Philharmonic/Lahav Shani
Leah Hollingsworth visits Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, New York, on 15 October 2025 for the performance of Prokofiev, Ben-Haim and Tchaikovsky
Book review: The Music Inside Us: Yo-Yo Ma and His Gifts to the World
Pauline Harding reads a picture book by James Howe and Jack Wong all about the renowned cellist’s life and career
Book review: Dynamite Strings
Alex Laing reads Georgina Leach’s books for beginner violinists, violists and cellists
Book review: Hungarian ‘Gypsy-Band’ Music in Vienna, 1850–1914: The Csárdás Craze
Robin Stowell reads Jon Banks’s history of the rise of Romani music in 19th-century Vienna
The Strad Recommends: Nicola Benedetti: Violin Café
Character aplenty in an imaginative album led by a beloved violinist
The Strad Recommends: Johan Dalene: Bruch, Mendelssohn, Vaughan Williams
Ravishing new accounts breathe life into a favourite pairing
Renée Chemet: Handel, Lalo, Tartini et al
A stylish French violinist is rediscovered
Artists
Stella Chen: a bright future
The American violinist chats with Rebecca Franks about her philosophy of playing and teaching, studying at Harvard, her experience of winning the Queen Elisabeth Competition and her new album, which marks a fresh chapter in her career
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
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