Anne-Sophie Mutter: ‘I grew up in the wilderness and I’m a little bit wild’
The legendary German violinist discusses her approach to performance and shares her hopes and fears for the future of classical music I...
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- May 1
A very British tradition
Newark School of Violin Making has an alumni list that reads like a Who’s Who of the violin world. As it celebrates its 50th anniversary,...
- Apr 13
So good they named it twice
On the next stop of my Interrail trip, I head to Baden-Baden to hear Kirill Petrenko and the Berlin Philharmonic play Strauss From Bach...
- Apr 8
At home with Bach
Hearing Bach’s St John Passion in the composer’s own church was a concert of a lifetime I didn’t think Bach would stick a knife in my...
- Apr 6
I ❤️ Beethoven
For the first stop of my Interrail trip, I make a beeline for Beethoven’s home city of Bonn and find him around every corner I love...
- Mar 25
Human imperfection will save usArtificial intelligence impersonations of human writing are very goo
Artificial intelligence impersonations of human writing are very good – and that’s why this writer isn’t afraid of them There’s lots of...
- Feb 26
Money can buy you love
A visit to Oslo for Dextra Musica's Master to Master exhibition left me feeling envious of the Norwegian culture of philanthropy and the...
- Feb 5
Opening the conservatoire doors
There are many good reasons for music colleges to include adult learners, so why do they seem reluctant? ‘I love the idea of building...
- Jan 26
Turn off, tune out
A plea to end the wispy-bulgy school of violin playing Is there a particular sound that makes you reach for the radio off button? For me,...
- Jan 14
Cold Tár soap
Cate Blanchett takes up a baton for the story of Lydia Tár but misses the fire of a great conductor and underplays the struggles of...
- Mar 3, 2022
Death of a salesman
The death of violin expert Norman Rosenberg marks the end of an era and raises questions for the violin world There are some people who...
- Dec 31, 2020
Let’s go outside
With classical music forced out of the concert hall, one of the few positives of this year has been rediscovering it in the wild This...
- Dec 4, 2020
Doughnuts are good for you
The Doughnut theory of economics sets out principles and practical steps towards a sustainable, just and happy world. What can classical...
- Nov 27, 2020
Thank you, Sheila Nelson
Very sad news has come through that the great violin pedagogue Sheila Nelson died on 16 November, at the age of 84. By rights, Sheila...
- Sep 24, 2020
Chaplin’s The Immigrant
Charlie Chaplin‘s 1917 film about the journey to Ellis Island is as funny and moving today as it must have been to the audiences who saw...
- Aug 13, 2020
Interview with György Pauk
In this article, originally commissioned by the Royal Academy of Music, violinist and pedagogue György Pauk explains some of the most...
- Aug 13, 2020
Interview with Giovanni Guzzo
In this article, originally commissioned by the Royal Academy of Music, violinist and professor Giovanni Guzzo describes his teaching...
- Aug 13, 2020
Interview with Martin Outram
In this article, originally commissioned by the Royal Academy of Music, viola professor and Maggini Quartet member Martin Outram offers...
- Aug 13, 2020
Interview with Josephine Knight
In this interview, originally commissioned by the Royal Academy of Music, Josephine Knight, Alfredo Piatti Chair and Professor of Cello...
- Aug 13, 2020
Interview with Dominic Seldis
In this article, originally commissioned by the Royal Academy of Music, the double bass professor and Principal Bass of the Royal...
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