Vulnerability Can Be a Key Teaching Tool—If You’re Willing to Go There
Showing students the stages leading up to competence lets them know that their experience is not an aberration; that they are on the same road we, too, are on.
March-April 2019
Tips on Approaching Campagnoli’s 41 Caprices for Viola
By Nicholas Cords Bartolomeo Campagnoli’s 41 Caprices, Op. 22, are rarities in the realm of 19th-century studies in that they are actually written originally for the viola. As such, they offer a unique window into the mindset of the 19th-century…
Contemplating Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 131 & Its Inexhaustible Originality
If Op. 131 can seem an ultimate destination—Beethoven considered it his favorite achievement in the medium—this music resists “definitive” interpretations.
Restorer Adam Pelzer Combines Patience, Grit & Dedication to the Craft
By Anna Pulley Thirty-year-old instrument restorer Adam Pelzer admits that he receives regular comments about his youthful appearance. “I’ve been called ‘teenage looking’ once by a concertmaster I did an adjustment with,” he says. “Apparently I look much younger than I…
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Violinist Yevgeny Kutik Commissions 8 Miniatures Inspired by Cherished Family Memories
By Greg Cahill It started with table talk. Seated at his family’s Thanksgiving dinner two years ago, Russian-American violinist Yevgeny Kutik listened intently as his paternal grandmother, Luba Kutik—known affectionately as Baba Luba—recalled standing in the airport in Minsk in…
A Musical Tour Through Cuba
By Stephanie Campos Cuba. First thoughts? Don’t lie: cigars and rum. That might change after your first visit, though—there’s so much to explore beyond the contraband, and the sensory overload is evident the second you step off the airplane at…
6 Top String Players Share Their Instrument Setup & Favorite Gear
We spoke with six top violin, viola and fiddle players about their instrument setup, most trusted gear, and the little things they can’t live without.
Norman Fischer’s Approach to Brahms’ Sonata in E Minor for Cello & Piano
One of Beethoven’s most famous quotes is, “Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine.” One of the wonderful things about spending a great deal of…
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London Calling: Even as Brexit Looms, London’s Music Scene Continues to Sparkle
By Inge Kjemtrup Vienna may be the finest city for walking in the steps of great composers, and Berlin may boast an exciting new-music scene and a legendary orchestra, but for sheer musical variety and richness, London is hard to beat.…