The art of leading
INTERVIEW Making mistakes, giving everything and leaving ego at the door: concertmaster Andrej Power offers his insights into the skills...
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- Jul 5
‘I prefer to play music, not to make music’
ARCHIVE On what would have been the 100th birthday of the legendary cellist János Starker, I revisit the interviews he gave me – and some...
- Jun 30
‘As you grow older, you have to get smarter and more efficient’
Edward Dusinberre describes the benefits of ageing, offers advice to students about how to find their own sound and explains why talking...
- Mar 7
Interview with Augustin Hadelich
The world’s busiest violinist offers his thoughts on a life in music, including how to play naturally, getting on with conductors,...
- Oct 3, 2023
On the Reich tracks
FROM THE ARCHIVE Steve Reich’s quartet Different Trains has the power to reduce an audience to tears, but how does it feel to perform and...
- 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...
- Jan 25, 2020
Peter Cropper’s A–Z of chamber music
In this article, first published at ChamberStudio in 2015, the late and much-missed first violinist of the Lindsays pulled no punches...
- Jan 10, 2020
Shmuel Ashkenasi on the art of chamber music
Shmuel Ashkenasi led the legendary Vermeer Quartet for nearly 30 years. In this interview, first published by ChamberStudio, he offers...
- Apr 8, 2019
Life in Teaching: Diana Cummings
Diana Cummings comes from a musical dynasty, and her career spans solo, chamber and orchestral playing. Since 1982 has been a professor...
- Apr 8, 2019
Life in Teaching: Stefan Popov
Stefan Popov has been professor of cello at London’s Guildhall School of Music & Drama for 40 years, and before that taught at Boston...
- Apr 8, 2019
Life in Teaching: Thomas Martin
Double bassist Thomas Martin studied with Roger Scott in Philadelphia and can trace a teaching pedigree that goes back to Bottesini. In a...
- Aug 25, 2017
Happy Birthday, Ivry Gitlis!
The charismatic, idealistic, often contrarian and utterly unique violinist is 95 years young today. In celebration, here is an interview...
- Aug 31, 2016
Itzhak Perlman on his violin heroes
In this interview I did with Itzhak Perlman for The Strad’s Violin Heroes supplement in 2009, he remembered and analysed the violinists...
- Aug 22, 2016
Gilles Apap: ‘Don’t listen to nobody’
Violinist Gilles Apap has one of the most original voices today, crossing easily between classical and folk styles, often in the same...
- Aug 17, 2016
11 important musical insights
I’ve interviewed many wonderful musicians over the year, have learnt much and had my thinking challenged many times. Here are just a few...
- Mar 8, 2016
Interview with violinist Regina Carter
Regina Carter started with Dont and Galamian but she only truly found her voice when she discovered jazz. She tells Ariane Todes about...
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