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Small Victories—How Independent Classical Labels Remain Poised to Define the Future
While the classical CD market has shrunk to a fraction of what it was, independent labels are flourishing.
Reaching for the Divine: Jessie Montgomery’s New Cello Concerto Connects with Her Ancestors
Written in collaboration with South African cellist Abel Selaocoe and inspired by a trio of poems by Montgomery’s mother, ‘These Righteous Paths’ is a three-movement work for orchestra and cello.
Rocky Road: Top Players on How They Protect Their Instruments While in Transit
From pressure changes to humidity swings to distracted handlers to the momentary lapse of attention, an instrument can be undone by a single bad flight.
Turtle Island Quartet Presents a Diverse Offering on ‘Island Prayers’
Fatureing three original works by violinist, founding member, and music director David Balakrishnan, ‘Island Prayers’ is the Turtles’ first album with its current lineup.
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5 Minutes with Schwarzman Centre Architect Andrew Barnett
Barnett, the project architect behind the world’s first Passivhaus concert hall, talks about thermal bridges, silent air, and what it feels like when a conductor says he can finally hear his second violins.
Hilary Hahn Dazzles with Mendelssohn in Opening Gala
The San Francisco Symphony opener was a musically sparkling affair.
At 50, James Ehnes Is Turning Toward Chamber Music, Long-Term Collaboration, and a Renewed Focus on What Matters Most
For Ehnes, the demands of building an international career no longer dictate the terms. The point now is to choose projects for reasons that feel genuinely his own.
5 Minutes with Violinist and Disability Advocate Gaelynn Lea
Lea took time from her tour to discuss her new book, her career, and her work as an accessibility advocate.
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Road Routines: How Touring Musicians Keep Mentally and Physically Healthy Away from Home
String players make their living with their bodies, and the road is not always kind. Here four players—cellist Joe Kwon and violinists Ryan Meehan, Jennifer Johnson, and Danbi Um—share survival tips.
Reaching for the Divine: Violinist María Dueñas Celebrates Her Roots and Her First Violin Idol
Dueñas’ third album, ‘Homage to Heifetz,’ isn’t really meant to be about her first idol. It’s meant to honor her roots, and Heifetz is a part of her violin origin story.
Did You Know . . . Only One Famous Composer Was Born in America’s Capital City of Washington, DC?
Born in 1854 on G Street S.E., the third of ten children. John Philip Sousa’s life in music began at the age of 13.
Review: ‘Hidden Legacies’ Features Cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper with the Kaunas City Symphony
Their interpretation of the Korngold Cello Concerto is one of the best on record, and their persuasive performance of two works by Mieczysław Weinberg is most welcome for fans of the composer.
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Approaching Messiaen’s ‘Quartet for the End of Time’
A 50-minute meditation in eight movement, Olivier Messiaen’s ‘Quatuor pour la fin du temps’ has become one of the most performed and discussed chamber works of our century,
Home Truths—Various Terms Dictate an Orchestra’s Relationship with Its Venue
The relationship between a symphony orchestra and its concert hall is one of the most consequential arrangements in the performing arts.
Review: Canadian Fiddler April Verch Counts Her Blessings
The lovely and spacious ‘Blessing on the Wing’ is Verch’s third album with duo partner Joe Newberry.
String Pioneers: Giovanni Bottesini—Master of the Double Bass
Known in his time as the "Paganini of the Double Bass," Bottesini changed people’s ideas about what the instrument could do.
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Review: ‘The Wannabe Classical Music Aficionado’ Is a Handy Introduction for New Classical Audiences
In boundlessly energetic style, violinist (and author) Allan Schiller takes the newbie concertgoer on a tour through canonic orchestral and chamber composers and repertoire from the Baroque to the present day.
Yamaha Releases Two new Silent Cello Models
The SVC300C and SVC300F models operate more as companions than competitors. It’s just that one is designed to appeal to classical players (300F), while the other is a little more rock ’n’ roll.
The Human Touch—New York’s Metropolitan Museum Unveils an Exhibition Correlating Instruments to the Body
It is described as the first major museum show to explore the relationship between bodies and musical instruments, gathering some 130 instruments, paintings, sculptures, and drawings from around the world.