16 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Electric String Player
Here are 16 holiday gift ideas for the electric violin, electric cello, electric viola or electric upright bass player in your life.
INSTRUMENTS, BOWS, & GEAR
REVIEWS
Lincoln Trio Celebrates the Composers and Culture of the Windy City on ‘Trios from Contemporary Chicago ‘
On Trios from Contemporary Chicago, Lincoln Trio features some of Chicago’s greatest living composers, many of whom they have had strong working relationships with over the years.
Jan Vogler’s ‘The Dvořák Album’ is an Eloquent Celebration of the Composer’s Chamber Music
It’s hard to resist the notion that cellist Jan Vogler’s passionate, eloquent celebration of Dvořák’s chamber music comes close to what was in the composer’s heart.
Hawktail Take Inspiration from the Great Outdoors on ‘Place of Growth’
The woody tones of fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and double bass resonate throughout Hawktail's Place of Growth, an often playful and always enchanting string band album.
HOW TO
These stories offer advice, instruction, tips, and tricks to help you grow as a string player.
A Primer on Pegs
By Erin Shrader
“Pegs don’t get a lot of respect,” says Eric Meyer, a Portland, Oregon, craftsman whose handmade fittings grace some of t... Read More...
ESSENTIAL HISTORICAL RECORDINGS
Essential Historical Recordings: Violinist Zino Francescatti’s Virtuosity Extended from the Stage to the Page
Francescatti was one of the 20th century’s great soloists, with interpretations that were unfailingly gorgeous, often original, & never less than thrillingly virtuosic.
Essential Historical Recordings: ‘Queen of the Cello’ Zara Nelsova
By Sasha Margolis Zara Nelsova was born to play the cello—almost literally. The woman who, in the 1950s, would be dubbed “Queen of the C... Read More...
LATEST STORIES
Lincoln Trio Celebrates the Composers and Culture of the Windy City on ‘Trios from Contemporary Chicago ‘
On Trios from Contemporary Chicago, Lincoln Trio features some of Chicago’s greatest living composers, many of whom they have had strong working relationships with over the years.
8 Adult Amateurs Talk Transcendent Moments & Finding the Time to Keep Playing
We spoke with eight string players from various camps or schools of study about challenges and what keeps them coming back to the practice room for more.
6 Tips for an Efficient, Harmonious Classical Ensemble Recording Experience
A small classical ensemble that wants to make a recording faces the same challenges upon entering the studio. These tips can help make things go smoothly, and without too much drama.
Fiddler Sara Watkins’ ‘Family Hour’ is one of L.A.’s Best-Kept Musical Secrets, on Record and on the Road
Fiddler Sara Watkins' album, The Watkins Family Hour, Vol. II, provided an opportunity to stretch musically with many guests while staying true to her bluegrass roots.
It’s Never Too Late to Pick Up an Instrument—Here are 5 Tips for Adult Beginners
It takes bravery to start taking music lessons, but according to the mature beginners I interviewed, no one is ever too old.
The Power of Unconditional Support in Musical Learning and Development
Unconditional support doesn’t mean freely accepting negative or harmful behaviors, but rather treating people as fallible human beings regardless of what they do.
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers Continues Passionate Advocacy of New Music with Recent Concerto Commission Inspired by Amelia Earhart
For two decades, Anne Akiko Meyers has made it a hallmark of her artistic mission to expand the literature for violin by commissioning new works and championing them.
4 Ways to Attract Students to Your Private Teaching Studio
If you’re seeking to build a private teaching studio, you’ll need to recruit students and, just as importantly, hang onto them once they sign up with you.
“Her Name Was” by SistaStrings Comes from a Place of Personal Reflection
Sisters Chauntee (violin, vocals) and Monique (cello, vocals) Ross of SistaStrings have recorded two albums with Peter Mulvey, most recently Love Is the Only Thing on Righteous Babe records.
After 50 years, the Rebelliously Democratic Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is Still Looking Forward
The 2022–23 season will mark the 50th anniversary of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, a democratic creative home where everyone has a say in how the music is made.
How Chamber Music Supergroups Come Together… and Sometimes Come Apart
Chamber music supergroups are most enthralling—or maddening—when a certain freewheeling one-upmanship is on display. Yet some have been plagued by infighting or divergent solo careers.
Yam Uri Raz Found His Way to Violin Making in Hawaii Via a Winding Road
Yam Uri Raz started out fixing guitars before founding Yam Violins around 2018 as a small, single-maker operation in the town of Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Conductor Gemma New Sought the Podium from an Early Age
New Zealand–born violinist Gemma New is the newly appointed artistic advisor and principal conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Violinist Hilary Hahn Emerges from the Pandemic a Changed Artist With ‘Eclipse’
Eclipse is the title of violinist Hilary Hahn’s new album, summing up not only the repertoire but also some of what the violinist has been through in the last few years.
An Educator’s Guide to Teaching the Music of Underrepresented Composers
Educators are beginning to conserve, understand, & teach the underrepresented music and musicians beyond what classical musicians have traditionally been taught.