No. 260, December 2016
Back to the Future
Kronos Quartet kicks off the ambitious Fifty for the Future project and commissions 50 pieces in five years
By David Templeton
Measure for Measure
Bach’s works for solo violin and cello are the Shakespearean monologues of the string world
By Thomas May
Taste Test
Music and fine dining blend at the Crested Butte Music Festival
By Cristina Schreil
Holiday Gift Guide
How to shop for an instrument
SPECIAL FOCUS
Strings’ 30th Anniversary
State of the Arts
String stars on the joys and challenges of being professional musicians and their hopes for the future
Compiled by Stephanie Powell and Megan Westberg
State of the Craft
Contemporary makers on the trade today, how it relates to the past, and the way forward
Compiled by Stephanie Powell and Megan Westberg
30 Faces, 30 Years
A look back at what the string world had to say to ‘Strings’ over the past three decades
Compiled by Stephanie Powell and Megan Westberg
Editor’s Note
News & Notes
The Rolston String Quartet takes first at BISQC; entire Itzhak Perlman prize to be donated; plus Milestones; 5 minutes with violinist Nuné Melik, and more
First Person
Lara St. John on an unusual premiere—including flutters, streamers, and punches
Curtain Call
Violinist Christian Tetzlaff on the magic of the Brahms Violin Concerto
Tales of the Trade
Designer Ned Steinberger powers up the violin world
What’s in the Case?
Ralph Kirshbaum’s 1729 Montagnana cello delivers with a colorful history
Your Instrument
5 options for anchoring your cello’s endpin
New Products
A review of Eastman’s Josef Regh VL500 student-model violin, and more
On My Music Stand
Violinist Ryan Meehan of the Calidore Quartet tackles Mendelssohn’s emotionally charged dialogue
My Studio
Knowing the typical fixes doesn’t always contribute to better teaching
REVIEWS
For the Record: The Neave Trio releases its debut album with diverse tracks that explore America’s melting pot. Onstage: The American Contemporary Music Ensemble rocks a New York City museum. On Record: Cellist Matt Haimovitz pairs Bach’s Cello Suite Preludes with newly commissioned works, and more.
