amateur music | Elbow Music

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...

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...

Revolution in the air

Coronavirus has threatened the classical music world’s very existence while simultaneously showing us how much we all need it. Can the...

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...

My week with Simon Rattle

In June I had the privilege of being part of BE PHIL, an international amateur orchestra conducted by Simon Rattle in Berlin. Read about...

17 reasons to love amateur musicians

Amateur musicians are a vital part of the classical music world, but don’t always get the recognition or opportunities they deserve or...

John Woolrich: ‘Contemporary music is no different from Brahms’

The British composer John Woolrich discusses the challenges contemporary music faces and the vital role of amateur musicians My interview...

Never too old to learn

How much can an adult amateur expect to develop as a musician in a short space of time? Quite a lot, it turns out, given the right...

The Charlie Chaplin guide to violin playing

Charlie Chaplin was one of the most expressive and popular communicators ever. What can string players learn from his art? Light and...

A plea on behalf of amateur violinists

Two weeks at a violin practice retreat were life-changing for me, but left me wondering why there aren't enough places for amateur...

Charlie Chaplin and his violin obsession

The great screen comedian was an accomplished amateur violinist who composed many of the scores to his films At the height of his...