One of today’s most influential classical musicians, cellist David Finckel, is a busy man. His successful and long-standing career as performer, recording artist, teacher, and arts advocate has included a wealth of solo performances, duo recitals with his wife, pianist…
By Cristina Schreil You might not know Henricus Isaac—and you’re not alone. The Renaissance-era, Franco-Flemish singer, composer, and fixture of the Medici court has been nearly forgotten, despite his mastery of counterpoint and polyphony. Even writer Aldous Huxley pondered how…
By Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg First and foremost: Know the opera. Not just the music, which is very, very popular, but the story as it unfolds. And then be sure to understand the meaning of the aria you are playing. “The Flower…
By Patrick Sullivan It hardly made a sound when it entered the Japanese market 20 years ago. But when Yamaha’s Silent Violin came to America, things got noisy. Yamaha poured some two years and a lot of technical expertise into…
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By Patrick Sullivan Mary Vanorny bought her first fine bow at age 16. The Minnesota fiddler has been making music for 30 years, often flying to Canada and Europe to play traditional Irish songs. And for more than a decade…
By David Templeton “There have been a number of turning points in the history of music, and in musical education,” says Mark Wood. “Right now, I think, the work I’ve been doing with Electrify Your Strings has put us at…
By Cristina Schreil Before establishing his international musical-instrument company, Qian Ni arrived in America, where the generosity of others proved pivotal. “If it weren’t for that music scholarship or that flute he was given as a young boy and the…
By Thomas May Chamber music is all about knowing how to forge close partnerships. For the world-renowned cellist Jan Vogler, that instinct includes connecting to artists beyond the classical-music sphere. But he didn’t expect a serendipitous encounter with Bill Murray…