When division seems our new, unhappy normal, composer Kian Ravaei comes along and creates just the opposite; "The Four Seasons of Hamadan" intertwines Persian and Jewish folkloric traditions with 23 stunning minutes of harmony, featuring violin and dance.
www.violinist.com/blog/castadi...
The Washington Post's firing of 300 journalists this week, including nearly all its music and arts critics, is a significant stage in the erosion of coverage for arts and music in America. But we still need arts journalism - maybe more than ever.
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The two-year shuttering of the Kennedy Center would most certainly have implications for the National Symphony Orchestra, a longtime Kennedy Center "artistic affiliate" whose $42 budget includes a $10 million contribution from the center.
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On Friday the Minnesota Orchestra announced a special piece to be played at its weekend concerts in memory Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were recently killed by ICE agents.
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Utah violinist John Shin, who was detained for 17 days by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), spoke at length last fall about his experience at an ICE detention center in Aurora, Colorado. He bravely shared an inside view that is worth learning about.
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Composer Philip Glass announced Tuesday the withdrawal of world premiere of his Symphony No. 15 "Lincoln" next spring from the Kennedy Center, due to ongoing concerns about the institution's mission and values. Read more:
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Our Week in Reviews: Veronika Eberle & Jean-Guihen Queyras with Chamber Orchestra of Europe at Carnegie Hall; James Ehnes with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Randall Goosby with the San Diego Symphony; and more!
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Bach's Cello Suites sat unpublished for 100 years; now they are nearly worshiped for their genius! How did this happen? Violist and musicologist Edward Klorman @eklorman.bsky.social presents a piece of this fascinating history.
www.violinist.com/blog/eklorma...
Violin technique: If you can understand the mechanics behind a particular position, as well as the problems that come from the "wrong" position, this can help you find what will work properly for you and your particular physicality.
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Our weekly roundup of reviews: violist Antoine Tamestit's "Harold in Italy" with Chicago Symphony Orchestra; TwoSet Violin's San Francisco stop in their "Sacrilegious Games" tour; Lisa Batiashvili with Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal; and much more!
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Few people had more fun with the violin - and love for it - than Dr. William Sloan, who passed away on Friday. We will deeply miss this remarkable man, with his limitless enthusiasm, deep knowledge and unyielding support for everything violin. Here is our tribute:
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How do you cope, when your bow arm starts shaking? How do you prevent that from happening in the first place? It's a fascinating and in-depth read about a topic that affects nearly every violinist at some point.
www.violinist.com/blog/Xaver/2...
A huge congrats to violinist Joshua Bell, who has formally been honored as a CBE, the the highest-ranking level of the Order of the British Empire, excluding knighthood, for his work as Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields over the last 14 years. www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/...
Review: Warchal's new 'The Beast" strings have a special helix E to eliminate whistling, as well as a clear and penetrating sound. Laurie Niles tried them for a month and offers this review.
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"They were exuberant, and at the end they were shouting 'L-A-Phil! L-A-Phil!'" Concertmaster Bing Wang shares stories from the LA Phil and Gustavo Dudamel's first-ever performance at Coachella. Missed it? They do it again this Saturday, and there's a livestream!
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The 1731 'Heifetz, Piel' Stradivari Violin - owned for some 30 years by the legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz - will be offered for private sale this spring by Tarisio, the auction company announced Tuesday.
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Weekend Journal: Anne Akiko Meyers Interview; Remembering Roberto Cani; David Chan to Teach at Rice; New Recordings - mailchi.mp/9d92678fa593...
Weekend vote: Where do you practice? It's important to have a place where you can practice and not worry about anyone interrupting or telling you to be quiet - where do you practice? Is it a bedroom? Living room? Music room? Somewhere away from home?
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Interview with Philippe Quint: It's no surprise that at least some of the inspiration for Philippe Quint's latest album, Milestones, came from the first female composer he ever knew: his own mother.
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From the 2025 American String Teachers Association conference in Atlanta last month: Laurie Niles looks at three of today's most innovative teachers, all on the topic of improvisation and style - Tracy Silverman, Alice Kanack and Jason Anick.
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We have assembled a list of fundraisers for orchestral musicians and teachers who lost everything in the Los Angeles-area fires, as well as related organizational fundraisers. We hope this helps connect those who need help with those who wish to give help. www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/...
It has been a devastating week in Los Angeles, and fires continue to burn. Laurie checks in with this account from Pasadena. www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/...
Practicing scales and exercises is not as fun as playing through favorite pieces, but it's necessary for violin technique. So how do you get yourself to do it regularly? Here are some ideas from psychologist Sander Marcus. www.violinist.com/blog/sanderm...
The Los Angeles Philharmonic celebrated 30 years with concertmaster Martin Chalifour in a chamber concert that included the world premiere of a five-minute gem of a piece by composer Celka Ojakangas , “Duo” for violin and viola, performed with violist Jenni Seo .
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Greetings, it’s Laurie at Violinist.com just here to say hello. I hope to brighten the place with posts and articles from my longtime website that promote the love of the violin, an instrument I’ve been playing for a lifetime.
