Stories

sistastrings

“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.

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

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.

Eugene Isotomin, Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose chamber music supergroup

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.

violin maker Yam Uri Raz

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.

Hilary Hahn with violin

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.

Quinton Morris works with a student from the Key to Change Studio, South King County, Washington

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.

John Henry Crawford with cello

Piazzolla’s ‘Le Grand Tango’ Is a Study in Passion, Rhythm, and Balance

There are impressive things in Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango that show off the cello, but its primary goal is more to show off the tango style itself.

children playing violin with the Inner Ear Orchestra

Art for All: Rosalind-Denise Rogers Uses Music to Prepare Students for Bright Futures

Through her school and community programs with the Inner Ear Orchestra, Rosalind-Denise Rogers has introduced over 1,000 young people to orchestral music in just five years.

Francesca Dego with violin

Violinist Francesca Dego and Conductor Sir Roger Norrington’s Mozart Concertos Are a Fresh Take Based on Historical Resources

The Mozart Violin Concertos recording with violinist Francesca Dego combines old and new traditions, using modern instruments but infused with Sir Roger Norrington more than 60 years of research and experience.

Wadada Leo Smith with trumpet

Wadada Leo Smith’s String Quartets Offer Players the Chance to Find Their Own Way

Presenting a roiling assortment of people, events, and landmarks in American history, composer Wadada Leo Smith’s string quartets have been gaining wider notice.