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Did You Know There Is a Symphony Composed in the Strange Key of A-flat Minor (Seven Flats!)?
The Romanian composer Dimitrie Cuclin (1885–1978) also turned out what is possibly the longest symphony ever written.
Canadian American Composer Sarah Bassingthwaighte Looks to Nature for Inspiration on ‘Orchestrating the Wild’
This collection of nature-inspired works makes full use of the double bass’ range and pairs it with a rainbow of instrumental colors from the orchestra
Jerod Tate and the Dover Quartet Chart New Territory for the American String Quartet
The ensemble’s work with composer Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha’ Tate has yielded new perspectives on modern American identity as well as on the enigmas of the creative process.
Arvo Pärt Gets a 90th Birthday Tribute at Carnegie Hall
By Brian Wise; photos by Fadi Kheir For those who associate Arvo Pärt with a contemplative, austerely beautiful (and Hollywood-friendly) version of minimalism, there was plenty to satisfy in a program by the Estonian Festival Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on…
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Making the Leap—A Guide to Joining Your Community Orchestra
Here are some tips for any string player considering jumping into the world of local music.
Remembering Charles Beare
The British luthier turned violin expert, whose influence on the world of stringed instruments is difficult to overstate, passed away in April at the age of 87.
5 Minutes with . . . Lincoln Center’s Mariko Silver
Silver discusses her new role as Lincoln Center's president and CEO and reveals the inspiration behind the planned $335 million redesign of Damrosch Park.
On ‘Music from Macbeth,’ Gaelynn Lea Turns a King’s Tragedy into Personal Triumph
Lea’s first album in five years blends droning rock-violins, electronics, traditional fiddling, twangy guitars, whistling, and rock drums.
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Improve Your Skills in Four Excerpts with This Cello Fingerings Quiz
Are you one of the many people who wants to improve your skill at devising good cello fingerings quickly? Try your hand at these four short excerpts!
A Journey of Discovery: A Conversation with Fearless Fiddler Darol Anger
“I have one foot in various roots traditions and the other on a banana peel,” says the 72-year-old violinist.
Review: ‘Dragonscales’ Makes Learning Strings an Adventure
Violist Nick Revel has produced an enjoyable, extensive, and adventurous exploration of left- and right-hand exercises for violin, viola, and cello.
Enter to Win a Set of Il Cannone Silver Strings
Feeling Lucky? Don’t Miss Your Chance to be One Of Ten Violinists Who Will Win a Set of Il Cannone Silver Strings Il Cannone Silver offers a distinct tonal identity: silvery brilliance, enhanced overtone content and commanding projection—all wrapped in…
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Budget-Friendly Future-Fi Solutions: A ‘Strings’ Guide to Desktop Listening
Future-Fi is all about bringing great sound to small spaces, often with just a simple headphone amp, streaming Bluetooth device, and modest “near-field” speakers, headphones, or in-ear monitors (IEMs).
Where Makers Take Wing: The Lutherie Program at Minnesota State College Southeast Turns 50
The year 1975 saw the founding of a small school of stringed instrument repair that would become the violin repair and making program at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing.
Parlez-vous Italien? Violin Making in Turin Drew on Both French and Italian Traditions
Setting up shop in Turin in the early 1820s, luthier Giovanni Francesco Pressenda managed to capture the essence of his country—a little bit French, a little bit Italian—in his work.
Strings Sessions Presents: Nancy Zhou
Zhou recorded this Strings Session on a 1725 Carlo Bergonzi violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
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Tales Interwoven: Violinist Nancy Zhou Trips the Folk Fantastic
On her sublime debut effort, STORIES (re)TRACED (Orchid Music) Zhou uses Bartók to anchor a program of scrupulously researched solo violin works that also includes virtuoso numbers by Bach, Ysaÿe, and Kreisler.
The Miró Quartet Serves Up a Triple Helping of Ginastera
Seeking a canonic work to balance its 30th anniversary concert program, the group turned to the three string quartets of 20th-century Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera.
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers and Pianist Lara Downes Dazzle at KDFC Sky Concert
The key word was “community” at the September 16 concert of all American music in San Francisco.