By Stephanie Powell Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, home to the New York Philharmonic, has announced that entertainment industry mogul David Geffen will fund the renovation for its new concert hall to the tune of $100 million. The hall will be…
Bluegrass showcase includes Hall of Fame inductee Dr. Neil Rosenberg By Grayson Currin The tall, wide stage of the Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, is suited for mid-sized pop and rock shows. Large, parallel arrays of speakers…
The Violin Society of America’s 2014 convention shows the group’s enormous growth and influence in lutherie The over 500 competition instruments and bows moments before eager makers and players raced into the room to sample the entries. Photo by…
I first heard Svend Asmussen play when I was 14. At the time, I had no experience with jazz, but I had heard Miles Davis and fell in love with his sound. When I heard Svend play, I realized that…
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A new digital application delivers Guads, Strads, Guarneri and other fine fiddles to your smartphone or tablet By Greg Olwell A violin lives in three-dimensions: light changes the experience as it reflects a violin’s seemingly endless curves—curly maple can look…
Educators gather in LA to take a stand on El Sistema By Laurence Vittes An upbeat spirit permeated a recent education symposium held in Los Angeles that took the pulse of El Sistema–inspired programs in the United States. The fourth…
By Louise Lee The quality of Chinese-made bows is improving, but for some, doubts remain It wasn’t so long ago that a string player wouldn’t pair a fine European-made stringed instrument with a bow crafted in China. But a year…
The Real Vocal String Quartet is a chamber-jazz group that can sing and perform ‘Turkey in the Straw’ in Macedonian. Scout’s honor By David Templeton “Jet lag! The gift that keeps on giving,” smiles Irene Sazer, unpacking her violin inside…
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By Greg Cahill “Boy, those Turtle Island guys really like to practice,” says Michael Doucet, with a hearty laugh. He’s speaking over a bad cell phone connection from Ogden, Utah, during a break from a lengthy rehearsal for a six-city…
As ensemble marks its 40th anniversary, ‘Strings’ charts the formative years of the group that reinvented the string quartet “I’ve always wanted the string quartet to be vital, and energetic, and alive, and cool, and not afraid to kick ass,…
A little bit country, a little bit classical, a whole lot of Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile By Bob Doerschuk “The most intriguing part of this project is that it’s not centered in one style or…
On the making of a world premiere and a family legacy By Gregory Walker Day 500: December 10, 2009. 7:59 pm. Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Orchestra is on the TV—you never get to see live broadcasts of the legendary ensemble where…
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By James N. McKean Many years ago, in a town next to where I was living at the time, a young mother ducked into a dry cleaners to drop off some clothes. She came back out, reached for her keys,…
By Erin Shrader Buzzes always seem to happen at the worst possible time. My most recent buzz started on the eve of a recording session, just as spring was giving way to summer, when the temperature suddenly shot up and…
By Daniel Levitov Many string players perform not as a soloist, but from the string section of an orchestra. Though orchestra is almost always part of the curriculum during the school years, you may have spent hours and hours of…
By Paul Robinson I remember many years ago performing in a chamber orchestra with guest artist Isaac Stern. The virtuoso arrived for rehearsal, removed his violin from its case, and walked about the stage, politely greeting the musicians. At one…
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Today, his life is about film and book projects by Louise Lee In some ways, Nathaniel Ayers at age 57 is a typical adult beginner on the violin. Taking his first lesson just this March, he spent the session working…
By James Reel Not too many years ago, everybody woke up one fine morning and realized that Stephen Sondheim is one of America’s great composers. Oh, it had been clear since the 1970s that he was a superb theater composer,…
What stories lurk in the church bass-ment? This forgotten New England lutherie tradition reportedly was born of a jackknife and a couple of wood blocks By Erin Shrader “They’re awfully ugly,” opines violin auctioneer Jason Price at the mention of…
By Erin Shrader “Pegs don’t get a lot of respect,” says Eric Meyer, a Portland, Oregon, craftsman whose handmade fittings grace some of the world’s great instruments. “People think of them kind of like tires. They wear out and you…
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By Erin Shrader “It’s amazing how they are overlooked in terms of aesthetics and function,” marvels Eric Meyer, when asked about tailpieces. “Especially since they sit right in the middle of the top of the instrument.” Meyer is passionate about…
Violin teacher Dorothy DeLay has been extraordinarily successful in turning gifted young students into promising performers.
Cellist Anner Bylsma Rhapsodizes Luigi Boccherini, Whose Chamber Works Are Ripe for Rediscovery By David M. Brin Anner Bylsma has been at the forefront of the Baroque revival. His recitals have an air of freshness and spontaneity, and his performances…
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