Review | Czech Philharmonic Is Unmatched on ‘Dvořák: Legends and Rhapsodies’
These works come to life under Tomáš Netopil’s direction.
January-February 2025
Review: Twisted Pine Crafts Joyful Acoustic Pop on ‘Love Your Mind’
The breezy music often evokes youthful innocence as it weaves its way through a potpourri of pop, jazz, funk, and string-band styles.
Carnegie Hall’s Well-Being Concerts Blend Music with Self-Care and Mindfulness
The Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute (WMI) is sponsoring concerts that aim to combine mindfulness, meditation, and live performance into hour-long experiences.
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?
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Music and the Brain: Humans are Uniquely Attuned to the Healing Power of Song
Music therapists design sessions to help their clients that utilize music improvisation, receptive music listening, song writing, music performance, and other activities.
Review: The Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens pays Tribute to Forgotten Workers on ‘American Railroad’
Paying homage to the laborers who constructed the transcontinental railroad, this concept album ranges from traditional American folk to world music to chamber and symphonic forms.
Larsen Strings’ New Offerings for Violists and Cellists
By Megan Westberg | From the January/February 2025 issue of Strings String players will often begin their training long before they have grown into full-size instruments. To give budding musicians a tuneful start, the most must be made of fractional…
No Strings Attached—A Look at the MacArthur Fellowship’s Multifaceted Impact
Among the benefits bestowed upon awardees of the coveted MacArthur Fellowship is the unrestricted ability to follow their creative impulses into uncharted realms.
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Anja Lechner Brings Life on the Cello to Works Originally Written for Viol
On ‘Bach Abel Hume,’ German cellist Anja Lechner juxtaposes the first two Bach suites with pieces for viola da gamba played on the cello.
Seventh Heaven: Introducing an Interval Full of Benefits
Practicing double-stop sevenths affords several physical benefits to left-hand technique, facilitating easier playing of other intervals, including octaves, thirds, and fingered octaves.
Joe Kwon Has One Cello for Home and One That Can Withstand the Rigors of the Road
After nearly two decades of playing cello for the Avett Brothers, Kwon has learned that the touring life can be challenging for musicians and instruments alike.
Rachel Barton Pine Learns a Whole New Way to Play the Corelli Sonatas
In recording her new album, the violinist’s commitment to authenticity was pushed to new levels when she decided to play the sonatas as Corelli himself would have done.
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Music and the Mind—Violinist Chenyi Avsharian Explores Music’s Effect on the Brain
Avsharian donned an electrode cap in an effort to study the effects of music on brain activity during performance.
From Studio to Center Stage—A Guide for First-Time Orchestral Soloists
Ultimately, success seems to come from a combination of diligent preparation, openness to learning, and the ability to apply feedback effectively.
Cellist Joshua Roman’s ‘Immunity’ Is a Testament of Endurance and Newfound Perspective
Shaped by the unique challenges of Long Covid, the recording process for Roman’s newest release was unlike any of his previous projects.
“For Your Consideration”—The Evolution of Grammy Award Promotion Campaigns
Attempts to influence the classical music awards-voting community have intensified over the years, but just how effective are such efforts?
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Open the Door for Three—Irish-American Traditional-Folk Trio Dazzles on ‘A Prosperous Gale’
This is another joyful recording from Open the Door for Three, a seasoned Irish-American traditional-folk trio featuring fiddler Liz Knowles, uilleann piper Kieran O’Hare, and Dublin-born singer, guitarist, and bouzouki player Pat Broaders. These nine tunes run the gamut from…
Violin Maker and Novelist Michael Kearns on His Influences, His Shop, and His Knack for Following His Nose Through Life
An open-mindedness to possibility has served the Oxford-based Kearns well over the decades.
Different Strokes: Connecting Spiccato to the Physics of the Bow
These simple exercises focus on spiccato, a bow stroke that involves a controlled bounce at various speeds using arm, wrist, and finger motion.
Julia Glenn’s ‘Ink Traces’ Is a Product of 15 Years of Research
The violinist’s latest release is inspired by Chinese poetry, dancing, calligraphy, and painting, and features new works by Chinese and Chinese American composers.
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Zlata Brouwer Had to Wait to Buy the Violin of Her Dreams
“Sometimes you don’t find an instrument, but an instrument finds you, and this was the case for me,” says Zlata Brouwer about her ca. 1840 German violin.
Sarah Neufeld, Richard Reed Parry & Rebecca Foon Improvise ‘First Sounds’—An Album 25 Years in the Making
Any discussion of the ensemble’s new album really has to start in the late ’90s, when this trio initially came together.
The JACK Quartet Explores the Depths of the John Zorn Universe
The contemporary ensemble's latest release celebrates the experimental composer’s complete string quartets.
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.