Contributors

This month's writers for The Strad

Soundpost

Letters, emails, online comments

Contents

What's in the August issue

Editor's letter

By Emma Baker

On The Beat: News And Analysis

News and events from around the world

OBITUARIES

KEN FREED US violist Ken Freed died

On The Beat: Premiere

Premiere of the Month

On The Beat: Competitions

Awards news from around the world

New Products

The latest items for string players

Life Lessons

The memories and opinions of US violinist Melissa White

Opinion

Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell outlines the reasons why duet playing is an essential tool in one-to-one instrumental teaching

Postcard from California

A report from the 2025 Music@Menlo festival

Postcard from Idaho

The aptly named Sun Valley Music Festival

Itzhak Perlman at 80

As he enters his ninth decade, the Israeli–American violinist tells Ariane Todes about his long career and his surprising new role as a social media star

American bows in 1925

Raphael Gold explores why the Jazz Age saw a boom in US bow production, tells the stories of some of the key protagonists and examines several of their bows

Calidore Quartet

The four members of the New York-based group speak to Thomas May about their training, repertoire choices, and recording Beethoven’s complete quartets

Hindemith 130

To mark the 130th anniversary of his birth, Carlos María Solare examines the composer’s life and career, focusing on the years he spent in the United States

Session Report

British violinist Chloë Hanslip talks to Harry White about her latest album featuring concertos by US composers Robert Russell Bennett and Vernon Duke

Early amplified instruments

At the dawn of the recording era, violin makers tried a number of different ways to make their instruments louder. Clifford Hall looks at some of their solutions

In Focus

Claudio Amighetti examines a violin made in 1705 by Antonio Maria Lavazza

Trade Secrets

Innovative home-made tools

My Space

LOCATION Chendamangalam, India

Making Matters

The use of infrared light for instrument diagnostics

Masterclass

Liza Ferschtman on the second movement of the Brahms Violin Concerto

Technique

Violist Alan George discusses string quartet playing through a viola lens

Reviews: Concerts

A critical round-up of performances

Reviews: Recordings

The latest physical and digital recordings

Reviews: Books

Publications of interest to the string music world

From The Archive

From November 1905

Sentimental Work

Krysia Osostowicz on playing Shostakovich’s String Quartet no.15