The Sound Post

07/10/2019

RUSH OF TRIBUTES FOR AMERICA’S LAST VIOLIN GIANT

Stephen Waarts: ‘Thank you Mr. Rosand for your incredible influence in my life and contribution to the world of music. I feel so grateful for all the time, wisdom, and generosity you shared with me through the years.’

07/05/2019

12 sad violin pieces that will make you weep uncontrollably

These are definitively the most melancholy pieces of violin music you’ve ever heard. All the rosin in the world will not be able to dry your tears.

06/28/2019

Violist Cynthia Phelps Reflects on the Depth and Warmth of her Gasparo da Salò

Many might assume that Cynthia Phelps’ quest for a new viola was an instrument shopper’s dream. The principal violist of the New York Philharmonic since 1992, Phelps learned at the start of her ten…

06/25/2019

Stringtelligence by Thomastik-Infeld: the right rosin for your strings https://www.thestrad.com/accessories/stringtelligence-by-thomastik-infeld-the-right-rosin-for-your-strings/8999.article

06/22/2019

YO YO MA’S BIGGEST AUDIENCE?

…. Face to face, Ma and the crowdHangin’ out at the bandshellFolks filled the park ‘till they spilled in the streetFor the thrill to hear Bach come alive..

06/21/2019

TwoSet Violin try bows worth $200,000 and $700,000

Brett and Eddy of TwoSet Violin join Nippon Violin CEO Sota Nakazawa to compare a $2,000 bow against examples by Peccatte and Tourte estimated to be worth in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The auction record for a bow by François Xavier Tourte is €576,600, as The Strad reported ...

06/20/2019

Violinist Nicola Benedetti reveals her secret warm-up tool is... a hair dryer

An international superstar always needs to perform at their very best – and for Benedetti, that means enlisting the help of a popular beauty device.

06/19/2019

Shop Talk with Luthier Daniel Arlig

What’s your favorite part of the process of making an instrument—what day to you most look forward to? One of the most exciting days in the process of making an instrument is Day 1. That is the day…

06/18/2019

10 unusual violins https://www.thestrad.com/lutherie/10-unusual-violins/9112.article

06/15/2019

He plays violin at Burnaby Hospital to ease the suffering

That one visit has turned into hundreds as Su drops in every Tuesday night. The violinist plays everything from the classics to pop songs to movie themes.

06/14/2019

Ray Chen: What do you do when your E-string breaks in a concert?

In a break from practice, Ray Chen sets himself a challenge to play as if his E string has just broken while admitting that it is not something you can defend against or even practise for - and therefore not worth worrying about either

06/12/2019

Young musicians too often make musical decisions based on impressing the listener

As artists grow older they hear more in the music, says Orion Quartet violist Steven Tenenbom, who urges younger musicians to learn as much as they can from their mentors - and delve deeper into the music themselves