Jacqueline du Pré – a terrible premonition
On what would have been the 71th birthday of Jacqueline du Pré, the words of János Starker sound a provocative warning Jacqueline du Pré...
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- Oct 8, 2015
George Eliot on violin-making obsession and the genius of Stradivarius
To mark the UK's National Poetry Day, 8th October, here's George Eliot's great poem about violin making and the obsession with which...
- Aug 16, 2015
What do actors and musicians have in common?
A recent performance of the whole of Homer’s epic Iliad offered an opportunity to observe actors close up and to understand what their...
- Jun 2, 2015
Peter Cropper and the art of story telling
The great violinist, former leader of the Lindsay Quartet, and one of the unique and most charismatic voices in chamber music, died on...
- May 8, 2015
Why you should stop practising
Observing masterclasses can be a brilliant way to learn and find inspiration, and yet students rarely turn up to watch. They may be too...
- May 2, 2015
Is your violin wild, juicy, lingering or tart?
Coffee experts and barristas have a whole language for describing their craft. Can it help violin makers? I visited the London Coffee...
- Apr 27, 2015
Interview with Shmuel Ashkenasi
The former Vermeer Quartet leader and Curtis Institute professor discusses the negative sides of Ilona Fehér's 'tough love' school of...
- Apr 14, 2015
Pinchas Zukerman: violin geek
In honour of Pinchas Zukerman's performance tonight of the Elgar Violin Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at London's...
- Mar 26, 2015
18 ways to support musicians
I have an article in today's Financial Times about music philanthropy, for which I spoke to some of the legion of generous souls who help...
- Mar 12, 2015
Violin competitions: participant’s view
Violinist Benjamin Baker has just been selected for the final rounds of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition. Such contests are...
- Feb 24, 2015
The case for modern instruments
As two top violinists are forced to give back the classic instruments they've been borrowing, should more performers consider modern...
- Feb 17, 2015
What makes a great performance?
How often do you leave a concert feeling as if you've experienced something special? As often as you'd like? If not, why not? My latest...
- Feb 10, 2015
Viktoria Mullova on inspiration, rules and coughing
The Russian violinist is forthright about Baroque rules, the narrow-mindedness of only listening to classical music, and allowing...
- Feb 4, 2015
Spain’s Stradivarius quartet
A weekend in Madrid provided the perfect opportunity to view some unusual Stradivarius instruments There is a lot to do in Madrid –...
- Jan 29, 2015
Isaac Stern on prodigies’ pitfalls
A historic letter from Isaac Stern to Henryk Szeryng offers fascinating insight into his thoughts about raising a violin prodigy ...
- Jan 15, 2015
Real or fake?
An exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery will replace a classic painting with a Chinese fake and ask visitors to spot the copy. What can...
- Jan 14, 2015
9 ways to succeed in music
Today's classical music business may be competitive and tough, but there are also more opportunities than ever. Success lies in knowing...
- Jan 8, 2015
How to learn jazz violin
Jazz violinist Regina Carter, interviewed here, offers some advice on exploring the genre Transcribing ‘If it’s not your language you...
- Dec 29, 2014
Concert highlights of 2014 – and one big stinker
2014 was another busy year on the London concert scene. Here (in chronological order) are my favourite concerts of the many I went to,...
- Dec 22, 2014
16 important musical truths I learnt in 2014
This year, my first as a freelance writer and journalist, I've had the privilege to meet some amazing musicians during my assignments for...
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