The Strad Podcast

Julia Reddy is the host of the Violin Class Podcast and teaches a studio comprising solely of adult learners. She and online editor Davina had a chat about how adult students can be proactive and design their own musical curriculum beyond the practice room - a completely different game from teaching children. What are your favourite ways to enrich your musical education? Find Julia

Many of us as string players will find ourselves teaching in one way or another throughout our careers. We learn and pass on this great legacy of tradition that has gone before us. But what else informs our teaching? How do we find our groove, so to speak, as teachers and players? Cellist Guy Johnston spoke with online editor Davina about finding his teaching style, particularly af

If you’ve read our February 2024 issue, you would’ve read our feature on the long-lost work by Ysaÿe, his Poème concertant. Violinist Philippe Graffin has recorded the work that had been undiscovered for more than a century – he joins online editor Davina in this episode to speak about uncovering Ysaÿe’s forgotten works, the history and inspiration of the piece, plus how

How do you feel about improvising on a stringed instrument? While there are many musicians who specialise in this craft, you wouldn’t have to search far for string players where mention of the words ‘improv’ and ‘solo’ is enough to strike fear into their hearts. Violist and composer Jessica Meyer spoke to online editor and cellist Davina about how the word ‘improvisatio

Double bassist Michael Rieber is the first solo double bass player from the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg. Not only does he hold a principal position in one of Europe’s top orchestras, he’s also released a recording of French works called Nuits Blanches. How does Michael find the time to take on two very high-calibre jobs and projects? Michael shares with online edit

Violinist Alena Baeva spoke with online editor Davina recently about the music of Stravinsky – specifically the Divertimento from The Fairy’s Kiss, which was arranged by Samuel Dushkin for violin and piano. She spoke about how this music encourages the player to harness the power of the imagination to showcase the kaleidoscope of colours displayed in Stravinsky’s writing. She

Maja Bogdanović is no stranger to a busy life – she enjoys an international solo and chamber career as well as collaborations with regular musical partners, including her husband the violinist Daniel Rowland. Maja’s shared her thoughts with us previously on thestrad.com about travelling not only with a cello, but also with a small child. How does Maja stay on top of things? Sh

If you’ve got a copy of our new February 2024 issue, (or seen it online) you would’ve seen our Masterclass feature on the first movement of Brahms’s Violin Sonata no.2, op.100 with violinist Daniel Kurganov. The interview for the Masterclass feature was just a tiny part of a larger conversation that, in addition to Daniel’s musical and technical advice on the work, included

In our quest for virtuosic brilliance and flair in our music making, as string players, sometimes we forget that coming back to basics is important for solving many problems in our playing and performance. Many people to get distracted by the complexities of a particular obstacle, or perhaps try and tackle too many problems at once, leading to a sensory overload. Or perhaps overcom

Rachel Cooper is a violin teacher who was recently awarded the Emerging Artist Award given by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the 2023 Women in Classical Music Symposium. She’s a Suzuki teacher, a violin and chamber music coach at Junior Guildhall and works for Nicola Benedetti’s education initiative, the Benedetti Foundation. As part of her award and her continuing profession