Talk about music
My work
As Editor of The Strad magazine from 2006 to 2014, I interviewed many of the greatest string players in the world, as well as writing features and opinion pieces about classical music issues and reviews. Since then, as a journalist I have written for The Guardian, Financial Times, Sinfini Music, Classic FM magazine, Gramophone, Classical Music, Songlines and Cozio.
I have led panel conversations and interviews at the Verbier Festival, JW3 and Ivy House, and have presented at the Musical Instrument Museum in Arizona, as well as taking part in Radio 3's Record Review.
Content marketing clients have included the Barbican Centre, Academy of Ancient Music, Royal Academy of Music, London Symphony Orchestra, ChamberStudio, Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic, 21C Media, International Chamber Music Series and European String Teachers Association.
I have also undertaken interim marketing contracts at HarrisonParrott, Royal Academy of Music and Guildhall School of Music & Drama, which has given me a strong understanding of marketing and communications strategy, particularly in arts events and the higher education sector. I am Communications Manager at Maestro Arts three days a week and freelance as a writer and editor the rest of the time.
Portfolio
Client work and journalism
Interview with Nicola Benedetti for programme notes (Barbican)
Antoine Tamestit on Jörg Widmann (LSO)
Programme notes for 12 Ensemble (Barbican)
Alexei Lvov and his Vuillaume (Ingles & Hayday)
Remembering Martin Lovett (Ingles & Hayday)
Stentor at 125 (Music Teacher)
Leila Josefowicz on new music (LSO)
François-Xavier Roth on Dukas (LSO)
HarrisonParrott 50th anniversary book
HarrisonParrott 50th anniversary concert programme
The forgotten musical genius of Charlie Chaplin (Guardian)
The ways benefactors can help musicians (Financial Times)
Interview with Maxine Kwok-Adams (The Musician – page 14)
Guildhall School of Music & Drama Annual Report 2017/18
Amateur dramatics (Guardian)
Censored Sounds (Barbican)
Record Review (BBC Radio 3)
Guildhall School of Music & Drama Events Guide Autumn 2018
ISM Music Journal May/June 2018
Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation newsletter, September 2016
Spotlight on Gallions Primary School (ISM)
Arabella Steinbacher discusses Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto (Gramophone)
CD booklet notes for Gil Shaham's recording of Bach Sonatas and Partitas (Canary Classics)
Rachel Barton-Pine on the fine violins she’s played (Cozio)
Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation newsletter, June 2016
Edward Dusinberre discusses the emotional challenges of quartet life (Wigmore Hall)
Alexander Pavlovsky on how simple is good (Southbank Centre)
Viktoria Mullova on playing Mozart for the first time (Southbank Centre)
Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation newsletter, April 2016
John Woolrich on writing for string players (Cozio)
Viktoria Mullova on why having a personal sound is more important than playing a Strad (Cozio)
Thomas Demenga on falling in love with cellos (Cozio)
Interview with Clio Gould (Royal Academy of Music)
Renaud Capuçon on Beethoven's violin sonatas (Southbank Centre)
Arnold Steinhardt discusses his favourite instruments (Cozio)
My time at Magic Mountain practice retreat (The Strad)
James Ehnes talks about his ‘Marsick’ Strad (Cozio)
Vadim Gluzman talks about his Strad (Cozio)
Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation newsletter, August 2016
Opinion pieces for The Strad
Secret commissions – the dark side of teaching
Do top ten lists miss the whole point of music?
Why we should question our prejudices
The teaching wisdom of Bruno Giuranna
What do you do when the person in front of you at the Wigmore Hall starts texting?
How to teach a stringed instrument you’ve never played before
Cellist Gary Hoffman on Brahms, vibrato and finding the perfect tempo
How to make a five-string viola
Colin Davis 1927–2013: a personal tribute
Thomas Brandis on working with Herbert von Karajan
The advantages of modern instruments
What conductors want from string players, according to Antonio Pappano
Double blind tests – the inside story
Do violin competitions face extinction?
How planes, trains and automobiles can help your technique
The skills we learn as musicians can counteract today’s short attention spans
Historic moments and sage advice in Indiana
When violins dominate the world
Maxim Vengerov makes his Wigmore Hall comeback
When is a violin not a violin?
Pinchas Zukerman’s special violin ritual
Violin makers share the knowledge at Oberlin
Gary Hoffman on why you should sing when you practise
What do wines and violins have in common?
A visit to the Library of Congress
Leonidas Kavakos on modern making: ‘This is an art that I want to support’
The legend of Stradivari lingers on
James Ehnes, Charles Beare and three Strads at the Sheldonian
A visit to the Kronberg Violin Masterclasses
Three top violinists in London in a week
How can I help you?
I believe that the future of classical music lies in developing direct relationships between artists and audiences, and that quality editorial and video content is the best, most cost effective, way to achieve this. My experience as Editor of The Strad magazine and working with clients including the Royal Academy of Music, Wigmore Hall, ChamberStudio and Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic puts me in an ideal position to understand musicians’ individual voices and the best ways to convey those to different audiences in a variety of formats.
I can help you work out your story and devise a communications plan to make sure that your message reaches the people you need it to reach.
Together, we can create compelling editorial content. It might be an absorbing article about your latest project; an opinion piece about classical music education; a regular newsletter outlining your activities and future performances; a video interview where you explain the finer points of instrumental technique.
I can generate ideas and produce content for a variety of formats, from long reads to succinct blogs; from video interviews to snappy social media posts. My experience as Editor of The Strad, curating Elbow Music and creating content marketing for various classical music brands puts me in an ideal position to help.
I can help you create:
Blogs
Video interviews
News stories
Diaries
Biographies
Articles
Q&As
Newsletters
Magazines
Personal statements
Opinion pieces
CD booklet notes
Masterclasses
Music guides
Programme notes
Social media posts
If you would like to find out more, please get in touch. I look forward to chatting.