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The Challenges of Being a Classical Music Content Creator
A recent phenomenon in classical music is the evolution of performer-entertainers who must balance artistic integrity with public engagement.
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5 Minutes with . . . The Renegade Orchestra
The SF Bay Area group features some of the best and (arguably) weirdest classical musicians playing instrumental versions of the greatest rock songs ever written.
Going Big at Dubai’s Classic Violin Olympus
Finalists at the international competition faced a formidable challenge in a city where everything seems larger than life.
Did You Know . . . Roman Totenberg Probably Had a Longer Career as a Teacher than any Other Musician in History?
Totenberg started giving violin lessons at the age of nine. Ninety-two years later, he was still teaching.
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The Late Composer and Multi-Instrumentalist John Hartford Left a Hidden Treasure Trove of 4,000-plus Fiddle Tunes
Until recently, few knew that Hartford, largely known as a banjo player and country-pop composer, had a nearly obsessive devotion to the fiddle.
Did You Know: “Smith” Is the Most Common Surname in English-Speaking Countries?
In the US alone, some 2.5 million people are Smiths. But can you name a single composer for strings with this name? How about Johnson? Brown?
Instrument Drive to Support Student Musicians Affected by Southern California Wildfires
The Pasadena Symphony Orchestra is hosting the event during its two concerts on January 25, plus a list of organizations providing help to fire victims.
Artists Reflect on the Rich Musical Heritage—and Promise—of the United States
A steadily increasing number of artists and ensembles, through album releases and concert series, are exploring the concept of America and what it represents.
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5 Minutes with . . . Conductor Rafael Payare
Serving as music director for the San Diego Symphony and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Payare has emerged as one of classical music’s most dynamic leaders.
Did You Know: Jascha Heifetz Logged More Than Two Million Travel Miles Before Taking a Sabbatical in 1947?
Over the course of those two million miles, Heifetz played for an estimated 100,000 hours.
Classical Music Festivals Adapt to Please Audiences—and Attract New Ones
On both sides of the Atlantic, music festivals are innovating to meet changing audience demands.
Cellist Joshua Nakazawa on the Mana Music Quartet’s Commitment to Hawaiian Culture
Nakazawa chats about the ensemble, its new album, and its mission to honor the indigenous culture of Hawaii.
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A Visit to TonicCon: Day 2
Strings editor Megan Westberg reports from TonicCon, a two-day event inspired by the Tonic app, founded by violinist Ray Chen and tech entrepreneur Rose Xi.
Did You Know: Many Famous Composers Were Also Visual Artists
Some of them were quite good, like Mendelssohn, Schoenberg, Gershwin, and many others
TonicCon Concert: Day 1
Strings editor Megan Westberg reports from violinist Ray Chen's spirited performance of Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' at TonicCon. This concert concludes the event's first day.
A Visit to TonicCon: Day 1
Strings editor Megan Westberg reports from the Colburn School in Los Angeles, where she is attending the first ever TonicCon, a live event inspired by an app, founded by violinist Ray Chen, that aims to create community around practice.
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Candlelight Concerts Are Designed to Draw in New Audiences
“Our mission is to democratize access to culture and entertainment in the regions where we are present"
Jennifer Koh on Her Acclaimed New American Concerto Project
Seven works have appeared so far as parts of the ongoing initiative, which began in 2017
Forget the Campfire—Where’s the Recording Studio? Summer Camps for Future Music Industry Professionals
The US has many music camps for high school musicians, populated each year with talented young players dreaming of a fruitful career
Dreamweaver: Klaus Mäkelä Is Living Every Cellist’s Fantasy
Like many young cellists with energy and enthusiasm to match their talent, the young Finnish conducting lion also dreamed of conducting
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How Cellist Maya Beiser Recorded a Solo 35-Part Minimalist Manifesto on ‘Maya Beiser X Terry Riley: In C’
Using acoustic and electric cellos, Beiser has created a sonic tsunami that runs from soft ripples to towering waves of sound
Violinist and Composer Andrew Bird Turns to the Great American Songbook on ‘Sunday Morning Put-On’
Bird winds his way through a set of jazz and film score standards by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Lerner and Loewe, and Rodgers and Hart, among others
Product News: The Kun Seven Shoulder Rest Aims for Freedom and Comfort
This new shoulder rest is highly customizable
Violinist and Composer Scott Yoo Travels the World for His TV Show ‘Now Hear This’
Each episode featured interviews with musicians, scholars, writers, and professors about an array of topics all related in some way to classical music and the people who make it