No. 249, January 2016
A Young Person’s Guide to the Solo Stage
Concert violinist Christian Tetzlaff’s advice to young musicians: ‘Stay away from what the violin offers easily’
By Jacqueline Vanasse
Rise and Shine
Fiddler Andrea Zonn’s sophomore album explores her writing and is full of all-star cameos
By Bob Doerschuk
Theory of Relativity
Cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton’s multimedia performances reveal an eclectic worldview, and a sense of nuance courtesy of Rostropovich
By Martin Steinberg
Undercover: What’s in Your Instrument Case?
Readers share their case essentials
Crowdsource: Do You Use Different Rosins for Different Situations?
Readers chime in on how different rosins help them play their best
Experiment: Open Up Possibilities with New Strings
The tone and feel of a string is highly personal, so it pays to keep an open mind in your search for new possibilities
News & Notes
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra announces Isaac Stern Violin Competition; Juilliard School to open campus in China; and more; plus Milestones, and 5 minutes with cellist Jacob Shaw
News Spotlight
Violinist Quinton Morris produces short film on virtuoso Joseph Bologne 20 First Person An impromptu performance in a chapel channels anguish of past and present, and redemption
Wise Words
Violinist James Ehnes on his approach to performance
Holiday Gift-Guide Directory
Strings 101
6 ways to improve your détaché bow stroke; How the oldest debates in music education seek the same end—deep musical learning
Master Class
10 tips on learning the cello, exploring technique, and developing musicality
Master Class
Schubert’s String Quintet in C major, D. 956, stretched the harmonic language of the early-middle 19th century
Practice Makes Perfect
Cellist Astrid Schween maintains a balance with left-hand exercises
Teaching Strings
Stoking intrinsic motivation in a teenager can be tough, but science is here to help
Strings Trade
1732 Strad donated to Rachel Barton Pine Foundation; winners of the Violin Makers Association of Arizona International announced; and more
What’s in the Case?
A powerful 1769 Juan Guillami cello inspires Rachel Mercer to channel her own voice
Your Instrument
Much like their role in music, violas are diverse and non-standardized, and that’s a good thing
Ask the Expert
The story behind the plaster casts you might see at your violin shop
Reviews
On Record: Crossing genres and decades, Christian Howes weaves a patriotic tapestry, and more. In Print: Technique, structure, and theories are examined in ‘Cello Practice, Cello Performance,’ and more.
