YOLA has become a signature of the Gustavo Dudamel era. Its creation predates his first season at the helm of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2009 and shows the influence of the educational philosophy that shaped him.
By Melissa White | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine It’s the music that makes or breaks a scary movie. Not convinced? Watch a horror flick on mute—the joy of being held in suspense diminishes significantly without the…
So here are five tips to help you build good habits, courtesy of the past few decades’ research by social scientists
By Patricia Weitzel | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine Bassist Patricia Weitzel is lecturer of double bass at Columbus State University and the membership chair of the International Society of Bassists, an organization with a mission to…
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By David Templeton | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine If there’s one thing David Bonsey has learned about musical instruments over the years—and for the record, he’s learned a lot more than one thing—it’s that approaching a…
By Megan Westberg | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine Twenty years ago, Pirastro unveiled its Evah Pirazzi violin-string line, to which the company has been steadily adding ever since. The synthetic-core strings were designed with the soloist…
By Greg Cahill | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine “I first became aware of Niel Gow after hearing an older fiddler friend play the famous ‘Niel Gow’s Lament for the Death of His Second Wife,’ dedicated to Gow’s…
By Mary Nemet | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine In this issue we look at new printed music including Gabriel Fuaré’s warmly elegant Sonata No. 1 in D minor for cello and piano, Ferdinand Ries’ challenging Three…
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By Brian Wise | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine Music may have charms to soothe a savage breast, soften rocks, and “bend a knotted oak,” according to the poet William Congreve. But as any instrument maker will…
By Laurence Vittes | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine When Chinese-Canadian violist Teng Li was named principal of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2018, after 14 years as principal in Toronto, she was offered the opportunity to…
By Greg Cahill | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine The Rodeo is back in town—the highly acclaimed classical-crossover band Goat Rodeo, that is. Classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma has reunited with Americana musicians Chris Thile (mandolin, fiddle), Edgar…
By David Templeton | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine Thomas Mesa began playing the cello in middle school, when he was 12. Now 30, and a highly sought-after soloist and educator, he acknowledges that he was a…
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By Peter Shaw | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine What is your favorite part of the process of making a violin—what day do you most look forward to? My favorite part of the instrument-making process is the…
By Laurence Vittes | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine The Alexander String Quartet—violinists Zakarias Grafilo and Frederick Lifsitz, violist Paul Yarbrough, and cellist Sandy Wilson—has not been idle during the COVID-19 hiatus. While preparing for uncertain performances…
By Greg Cahill | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine “The coronavirus pandemic and quarantine have ultimately revealed how fragile the classical music ‘business’ is,” says James Wilson, cellist and artistic coordinator of the conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra,…
By Miranda Wilson | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 hit music students hard. Under strict stay-at-home orders in the spring semester, many college professors suddenly found themselves using technology in unfamiliar ways.…
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By Miranda Wilson | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine No doubt you’re wondering what college will look like for music students this fall. As we go into our seventh month of social distancing, Zoom lessons, and concert…
By Diana Ladio | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazine Performing musicians across the globe are suffering greatly amid the COVID-19 pandemic—live shows may not look the same for a very long time. While the rest of the…