Ariane TodesDec 31, 2020Let’s go outsideWith classical music forced out of the concert hall, one of the few positives of this year has been rediscovering it in the wild This...
Ariane TodesDec 4, 2020Doughnuts are good for youThe Doughnut theory of economics sets out principles and practical steps towards a sustainable, just and happy world. What can classical...
Ariane TodesNov 27, 2020Thank you, Sheila NelsonVery sad news has come through that the great violin pedagogue Sheila Nelson died on 16 November, at the age of 84. By rights, Sheila...
Ariane TodesSep 24, 2020Chaplin’s The ImmigrantCharlie 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...
Ariane TodesJun 11, 2020Responsible adultsNew generations of star players are committing to music education at the grass roots level with a focus that might create lasting change...
Ariane TodesMay 21, 2020Revolution in the airCoronavirus has threatened the classical music world’s very existence while simultaneously showing us how much we all need it. Can the...
Ariane TodesMar 18, 2020Time to write At a time of crisis for public musical life, performers can remain positive by practising a different way of communicating – with words. Elb
Ariane TodesFeb 9, 2020How to write musicians’ biographiesMusicians' biographies are an essential and powerful part of their careers, but they are often not effective. Here are some tips from one wh
Ariane TodesJan 7, 2020Songs of Innocence and ExperienceThe classical music world tends to focus on its young stars, but as the recent BBC documentary on Janet Baker demonstrated, our venerable...
Ariane TodesApr 26, 2019Celebrating ChaplinThe great film maker's under-appreciated musical talents are the focus of this year's 130th anniversary celebrations I'm chuffed that I...
Ariane TodesJan 28, 2019Mad for itAs research shows that young people are coming to classical music through film and club music, here‘s an article I wrote in 2018 for ISM...
Ariane TodesDec 31, 2018New Year, new missionI’ve long since given up New Year resolutions, in the sad certainty of their failure, and I’ve certainly never shared any publicly. But I...
Ariane TodesSep 12, 2018Primary benefitsA school in one of England’s most deprived boroughs offers proof that putting music at the heart of education offers positive outcomes...
Ariane TodesSep 1, 2018Inspired by SzigetiResearch on Joseph Szigeti for BBC Radio 3’s Record Review took me back to some old interviews I did when I was at The Strad, where he...
Ariane TodesSep 1, 2018Getting to know SzigetiI 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...
Ariane TodesAug 22, 2018Mission possibleA summer festival in Silicon Valley initiates young players into the joys and challenges of chamber music and then sends them out into...
Ariane TodesJun 26, 2018My week with Simon RattleIn June I had the privilege of being part of BE PHIL, an international amateur orchestra conducted by Simon Rattle in Berlin. Read about...
Ariane TodesMay 2, 2018How to write a great press releaseMusicians can generate their own publicity without spending a penny, by sending out their own press releases. Here are some of the things...
Ariane TodesMar 28, 2018Getting my fix at half past sixThe London Symphony Orchestra’s early evening concert format is a welcome development in the city’s entertainment landscape, for music...
Ariane TodesMar 22, 201817 reasons to love amateur musiciansAmateur musicians are a vital part of the classical music world, but don’t always get the recognition or opportunities they deserve or...
Ariane TodesFeb 9, 2018Can string quartets save the world?The recent Amsterdam String Quartet Biennale explored various aspects of the string quartet format, including the many life lessons it...
Ariane TodesJan 15, 2018Good content is foreverThe internet offers musicians fantastic opportunities to build their reputations and legacies, as well as selling their music. They...
Ariane TodesJan 3, 2018Pictures, please!Wigmore Hall’s new photography policy offers a sensible way forward in today’s visual culture and more venues should follow suit There...
Ariane TodesNov 15, 2016The win–win of music educationWhy is music education and pedagogy not taken more seriously in the music world?
Ariane TodesSep 5, 2016Birth of a salesmanCar boot sales offer a brilliant lesson in salesmanship, and for this rookie also raised questions about buying and selling violins I’m...
Ariane TodesAug 26, 2016Review of Alexey Stadler PromAlexey Stadler‘s unexpected Proms debut last night was such stuff as careers are made on Performing at the Proms on a day’s notice is the...
Ariane TodesAug 17, 201611 important musical insightsI’ve interviewed many wonderful musicians over the year, have learnt much and had my thinking challenged many times. Here are just a few...
Ariane TodesMay 17, 2016Review of Beethoven for a Later AgeI have a theory that musicians write in exactly the same style that they play their instruments. I’m pleased to see it proven, somewhat...
Ariane TodesApr 30, 2016Bye Bye, BellowheadThe ground-breaking English folk band has broken up after 12 years, leaving this fangirl sad – but grateful I’m not a mosher. I don’t...
Ariane TodesApr 5, 201620 great violinistsWho are my favourite violinists? A list of 20, which I made for Sinfini Music in 2014, still largely stands, but is sure to provoke a...
Ariane TodesMar 15, 2016When classical music marketing copy goes wrongThe current Southbank Centre slogan offers a lesson in how not to talk to about classical music There are a few obvious rules in...
Ariane TodesJan 28, 2016A musical tonic for the soulA trip to the Musical Instrument Museum in Arizona offered profound and uplifting insights into the human condition, and interesting...
Ariane TodesJan 26, 2016Jacqueline du Pré – a terrible premonitionOn what would have been the 71th birthday of Jacqueline du Pré, the words of János Starker sound a provocative warning Jacqueline du Pré...
Ariane TodesJan 26, 2016Careless talk costs livesAs Nigel Kennedy goes on Radio 4's Mastertapes programme to be rude about Baroque performance practice, here's a blog I wrote in 2011 on...
Ariane TodesSep 24, 2015We’re all misfit weirdos nowThe breadth and success of David Byrne’s recent curatorship of Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival demonstrate how the curiosity and...
Ariane TodesAug 16, 2015How to be presentGreat stage actors have an aura of positive energy and openness that musicians can access, too. Acting coach Patsy Rodenburg tells Ariane...
Ariane TodesJun 23, 2015The curse of perfectionPerfectionism in music is a modern scourge, and Peter Cropper, who died in May, demonstrated that it is a distracting priority for...
Ariane TodesJun 22, 2015Violin Utopia in OberlinAs some of the world's finest violin makers gather in the small university town of Oberlin, Ohio, to share their knowledge at the annual...
Ariane TodesJun 14, 2015The art of listeningThe best musicians have special powers of listening, as pianist András Schiff demonstrated in a masterclass last week How can you tell if...
Ariane TodesJun 13, 2015Barry Douglas on the pressures and benefits of competitionsAs the Tchaikovsky Competition kicks off, we revisit a 2014 interview with the great Irish pianist Barry Douglas, who won the contest in...
Ariane TodesJun 3, 2015Never too old to learnHow 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...
Ariane TodesMay 31, 2015Baffling results in BrusselsJury places audience favourite in fifth place at Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition in Belgium Music competitions get a lot of bad press...
Ariane TodesMay 25, 2015Brave new violin worldA new collection of specially commissioned unantiqued instruments offers hope of a new Zeitgeist around modern violins. Will top soloists...
Ariane TodesMay 14, 2015Happy Birthday, David Byrne!David Byrne turns 63 today, and yet he still has one of the most energetic and interesting careers of any musician anywhere in the world....
Ariane TodesMay 8, 2015Why you should stop practisingObserving masterclasses can be a brilliant way to learn and find inspiration, and yet students rarely turn up to watch. They may be too...
Ariane TodesApr 17, 2015Wine and violinsFacebook just kindly reminded me that two years ago today I was in Sarasota, Florida, enjoying the La Musica Festival, and tasting wine –...
Ariane TodesMar 26, 201518 ways to support musiciansI 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...
Ariane TodesMar 12, 2015Violin competitions: participant’s viewViolinist Benjamin Baker has just been selected for the final rounds of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition. Such contests are...
Ariane TodesJan 14, 20159 ways to succeed in musicToday's classical music business may be competitive and tough, but there are also more opportunities than ever. Success lies in knowing...
Ariane TodesJan 8, 2015How to learn jazz violinJazz violinist Regina Carter, interviewed here, offers some advice on exploring the genre Transcribing ‘If it’s not your language you...