No. 224, December 2013

Antonio Stradivari’s Greatest Hits on Exhibit in England The Ashmolean Museum gathered Stradivari’s finest instruments—some not seen for decades—for a special exhibit

Arcade Fire Violinist Sarah Neufeld is Burning Brightly New solo album takes a trip through minimalism, mysticism, and . . . heroism

Ask the Expert: Is It Really a Good Idea to Polish Your Instrument? Less may be more when keeping your instrument’s finish crisp and clean 

Celebrating an Artisan of the String World: Old No. 7 Brand The last living bow maker from the Hill shop reflects on a singular career

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Marks 50th Anniversary of JFK Assassination Commemoration of grief and a celebration of a fallen president’s legacy—concert offers a new perspective on an old tragedy

Discipline Informs Practice and Life According to Tina Guo, eight hours of daily practice can take a toll on fingers . . . and canine companions

Getting a Big, Natural Sound in a Very Portable Package Roland AC-40 Acoustic Chorus combo amp offers much for string players

Laying Down Shakespearean Layers of Tragedy, Beauty & Comedy An international mélange of chamber musicians with real star power

New Edition Showcases a Virtuoso Composer’s Personalized Sonatas Ysaÿe’s Six Sonatas for solo violin honor personalities & musical preferences of their dedicatees, with a little Bach thrown in

Stolen ‘Sandwich’ Strad Recovered! Violin found after three-year search, violinist on ‘cloud nine’

The Big Noise Orchestra Sounds Off

The Shanghai Quartet's Jersey Diplomacy Chamber ensemble marks 30 years of making music & building a cultural bridge between the United States & China

The Thrill of Playing Mozart on Mozart’s Violin & Viola In their U.S. debut, the composer’s personal violin and viola left quite an impression on the performers who had access to them

The ‘Gariel’ Strad Violin Inspires with Its Sound British superstar violinist Nicola Benedetti enjoys the privilege of a rare find