Jazz Violinist Gwen Laster’s Compelling ‘Keepers of the Flame’ Is Quietly Intense
Thought-provoking music rooted in the past, informed by the present, and striving for the future.
September-October 2025
Adult Education—The Orchestra’s New Front Line
At a time when public school music education is increasingly under threat adult-focused community-based efforts by orchestras have become more than enrichment.
Will America’s Mid-Century Concertos Finally Get Their Due?
Academic serialism, Cold War politics, shifting tastes, and some early promotional stumbles prevented many works from securing a foothold in the repertoire. A few determined artists are striving to change that.
‘Crossing Borders’ by British Period-Instrument Ensemble La Serenissima Contains Concertos for Diverse Instruments
New disc features concertos by canonic composers Georg Philipp Telemann and Antonio Vivaldi alongside some by undeservedly lesser-known composers.
Advertisement
Conservatory Lab Charter School Makes Music a Priority for Students
“Our mission,” says executive director Nicole Mack, “is to help students become scholars, artists, and leaders in our community.”
Over the Toppers—Serious Young Musicians Have Found Support at ‘From the Top’ for 25 Years
The independent nonprofit organization actively aids young classical musicians through arts education programs, scholarships, live events, and radio and television broadcasts.
National Treasure(s)—Countrywide Youth Orchestras Offer Young Musicians a Brilliant Range of Opportunities
Extracurricular opportunities provide young musicians with exposure to the repertoire, culture, and customs of higher-level ensembles.
Past Perfect? Why the Value of Golden-Age Italian Violins Belies Blind Test Results
Face-offs pitting new against old violins have long predated YouTube, and some have been conducted with the rigors of science.
Advertisement
Review: Maya Beiser’s ‘Salt’ Explores the Impossible Cost of Remembering
This evocative recording is grounded in the ancient biblical tale of Lot’s wife and explores themes of memory, witness, and the cost of remembering.
Pirastro Adds a New Set to Its Evah Pirazzi Line of Violin Strings
Meant to produce a powerful sound with little background noise, the synthetic-core Evah Pirazzi Neo was developed with tuning stability and easy response in mind.
Symphony for Two: Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello Puts Duos to the Test
Performing the Sonata requires a very 21st-century synchronized combination of precision, speed, and absolute fidelity to the score.
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.
Advertisement
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.
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.
Advertisement
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.
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.
Advertisement
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.