No. 203, March 2012

'Amazing Grace' for String Orchestra'
An American Hymn and Rallying Cry

'Heisenbergminiatyrer' for string quartet
'Heisenbergminiatyrer' for string quartet by Anders Hillborg. Edition Peters, $65
 

'I Used to Play Cello'

'I Used to Play Cello' by Doris Gazda and Larry Clark. Carl Fischer, $19.95.
  

'Rhythm Techniques for Superior Musical Performance' 

'Rhythm Techniques for Superior Musical Performance' by Robert S. Frost. Kjos, $21.95 (complete score, including a teacher’s manual); $6.95 (student edition—violin, viola, cello, or string bass)
 

'The Viola in My Life: An Alto Rhapsody' by Bernard Zaslav
'The Viola in My Life: An Alto Rhapsody' by Bernard Zaslav. Science and Behavior Books, $24.95
 

2012 ASTA Conference
The American String Teacher's Association conference returns to Atlanta

2012 Oberlin Workshops

25 Player Tips to Take Your Skills to the Next Level
Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn, Itzhak Perlman, Nicola Benedetti, and others offer sage advice from the ‘Strings’ archives 

5 Tips on Playing Successfully in Higher Registers on the Violin or Viola
Don’t be thrown off by the challenge of fourth, fifth, and sixth positions 

6 Ways to Improve Your Detaché Bow Stroke
How to create smooth and sustained sounds

6 Ways to Pick the Right Summer Study Program
Fiddle camps. Orchestral seminars. Chamber-music intensives. Jazz bass workshops. Oh, my!

A Jam Camp That Teaches Fiddling & Fraternity
Miles of Music brings together musicians of all genres and abilities for an inspiring experience

Americans Top 2011 Concours de lutherie Etienne Vatelot Awards
For first time, US bow makers have taken top honors in the prestigious French competition

An Intensive Chamber Program That Can Keep You Guessing
A musical tradition flourishes at the Ashland Chamber Music Workshop

Art of Sound Competition
A contemporary violin competition and sales exhibit returns to Omaha, Nebraska, March 29–April 14.

ASTA Convention Update
Violinist Leonidas Kavakos to appear

Barber's 'Commemorative March'
'Commemorative March' by Samuel Barber. G. Schirmer, $12.99

Bernard Greenhouse’s Five-Decade Partner Sold by Sealed Bid
‘Paganini, Countess of Stanlein’ 1707 Stradivari cello goes on the auction block

Calling Dr. Strad
CT scans used to make replica of the instrument.

CD Review: Franck, Debussy, Poulenc
Anne Gastinel, cello; Claire Désert, piano. (Naïve)

CD Review: Hoffmeister and Stamitz Viola Concertos
Victoria Chiang, viola; Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Markand Thakar, cond. (Naxos)

CD Review—'River of Light: American Short Works for Violin and Piano'
'River of Light: American Short Works for Violin and Piano'; Tim Fain, violin; Pei-Yao Wang, piano. (Naxos)
 

Class Acts
Teens in the news, and the teachers who helped them along the way
 

Classic Gear: Wittner Original Tailpieces

Cypress String Quartet Pays Homage to America’s Rich Musical Traditions
Cypress String Quartet captures the majestic power of chamber music inspired by the nation’s diversity in sound

Dakota Chamber Music Project
Program grows chamber music on the Great Plains

Emerson String Quartets—Mozart: The Prussian Quartets
Emersons make their Sony Classical debut
 

Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra Receives 2nd Strad
A 1685 Strad joins the FWSO's 1710 Strad

Go Phish!
Trey Anastasio schedules his first orchestral tour in February
 

Is It Worth It to Hot Rod a Cheap Violin?
Why choosing that $100 eBay special can be expensive in the long run

It’s a Cello Invasion!
String players team up to bring music to public schools
 

Jeremy Kittel: The Future is Wide Open
How does this violinist and violist do so much—and still have time to romp around like a monkey?
 

Juilliard to Mentor 3 Mexican Conservatories
Formal signing ceremony and press conference took place October 18 in Mexico City
 

Kronos Quartet—Music of Vladimir Martynov
Music of Vladimir Martynov
(Nonesuch)
 

Let the Violin Family’s Middle Voice Sing in School Orchestras
5 ways to unlock the viola’s potential for your students
 

Musafia Aeternum violin case

New & Noteworthy CDs from Robert Black, the Rosamundes, and the Ying String Quartet
Everything from modern bass works to 19th century Russian romanticism
 

Nothing Compares to Peter Gregson’s Cellos—No, Really, Nothing!
His acoustic and electric cellos are ‘lovable rogues’
 

On the Sidelines but Not Out of the Spotlight
Repair and restoration expert Julie Reed-Yeboah is helping to promote modern instruments
 

Piano Ensembles: The Ultimate Chamber-Music Experience
Learn to develop a balanced sound between string and keyboard players
 

Salonen Gets Grawemeyer Composition Award
The award carries a $100,000 cash prize
 

Shades of Grey: 2012 String Teachers Ethics Survey Results
String teachers discuss the ethical dilemmas faced when trying to make music pay

Shubert's Fantasia in C major, D. 934 (Op. 159) for violin and piano, a rhapsodic masterwork
Schubert’s last, and perhaps greatest, piece for violin and piano 

Six Partitas (Artificiosus Concentus pro Camera)
Six Partitas (Artificiosus Concentus pro Camera) by Johann Vilsmayr. Wolfhead Music, $19.95  

The Jonathan Li Model 503 Paganini violin
Introducing a precocious fiddle with an interesting twist

The Kodaly Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8
More Than Just a Showcase for Flashy Cellistic Fireworks  

The Makers of Central Italy
A new book by a noted violin maker and dealer covers an under-appreciated region of Italy.

Turn On, Tune In, Drop into New Music. Living Composers Speak Out
25 contemporary composers helping to push string music to new heights 

Upcoming Auctions for Spring 2012
Auctions from Bongartz, Bonham's, Brompton's, Christie's, Gardiner Houlgate, Skinner, Sotheby's, and Tarisio.  

USC Thornton School of Music Launches Piatigorsky Cello Festival
Cellist and educator Ralph Kirshbaum & colleagues pay tribute to the legendary cello master

Utah Symphony Settles Contract
Musicians agree to three-year contract extension

Yo-Yo Ma Tapped for Kennedy Center Honor
Cellist singled out for his 'sterling musicianship' and inspirational projects