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Jan 26, 2023
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,...


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 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...


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...

Sep 1, 2018
Getting to know Szigeti
I had the very great pleasure of being on Radio 3’s Record Review this morning with Andrew McGregor (thankfully pre-recorded, as I hadn’t...


Jun 3, 2015
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...


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...


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...


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...


Nov 29, 2014
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...


Aug 29, 2014
Everything you need to know about violin playing (but were never taught)
Musical timing and closure, hearing and thinking for ourselves – just some of the things that teaching often fails to help us with,...


Aug 21, 2014
Leopold Auer weighs in on the vibrato debate
Responses to my post about Menuhin's vibrato drew a mixture of responses. I’d remarked on it being ‘perfectly shaped’ and ‘fluid’ and...
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