Episode 51: Writing your own cadenza - don't be scared, it's fun! Upcoming events: November 11 - London debut - Brahms Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic, November 13-15 - residency at Morehead State University in Kentucky, November 23 and 24 - Saint-Saens Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso and Sarasate Carmen Fantasy with the Ars Viva Symphony in Skokie, Illinois Inquiries from my Inbox: Whitney asks, "Do you offer or recommend any classical workshops for the summer?" For a searchable databas...
Nov 11, 2008•17 min
Episode 50: Fantasies on Beethoven's Violin Concerto (a.k.a. my cadenzas) Upcoming events: October 3 - private event honoring Augusta Read Thomas, October 9 – Ravel Tzigane and Sarasate Zigeunerweisen and Carmen Fantasy with the Iceland Symphony, October 11 – children"s concert with the Iceland Symphony Inquiries from my Inbox: Will asks, "Do you ever hang out with other soloists?” Random Musical Thought: Verdi says, “I adored and I adore this art; and when I am alone and am wrestling with my no...
Oct 01, 2008•32 min
Episode 49: The Beethoven Violin Concerto's forgotten origins - introducing Franz Clement and his concerto - Upcoming Events: September 21 - unaccompanied multi-genre recital for Performers of Westchester in New York, September 25 - fundraiser for at-risk youth in Chicago suburbs, September 26 and 28 - Italian baroque music with the Callipygian Players in Chicago- Inquiries from my Inbox: Mark S. asks, "What other physical conditioning do you do in addition to practicing?" - Random Musical Thoug...
Sep 17, 2008•25 min
Episode 48: Woodworms and the Three S’s? Luthier Paul Becker discusses violin maintenance, restoration, and tonal adjustment - Upcoming Events: September 7 – master class for the PeakHarmonic Youth Orchestra in Colorado Springs, September 9 – Beethoven Concerto with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, September 12 and 13 – Tchaikovsky Concerto with the Boise Philharmonic - Inquiries from my Inbox: lilrose09 asks for advice about left-hand pizzicato. - Random Musical Thought: composer Paul Dukas s...
Sep 03, 2008•59 min
Episode 47: The second coolest family of string instruments - all about the viola da gamba.- Inquiries from my Inbox: Carlos Marquina asks, "I’d like to know if you’re gonna do more with the viola d’amore. Have you taken a crack at the viola da gamba?"- A conversation with early music specialist John Mark Rozendaal about the history of viola da gamba and his innovative method for teaching it to children. Includes the Prelude in Bb from Christopher Simpson’s "Division Viol" from John Mark’s new C...
Aug 20, 2008•33 min
Episode 46: More about the d'more: the fascinating 14-stringed cousin of the violin and its enthusiasts - Inquiries from my Inbox: Alise Svoboda asks: Do you do master classes in the Chicagoland area for violinists that are interested in exploring jazz and rock?- Random Musical Thought: James R. Gaines writes, "A world without a sense of the transcendent and mysterious, a universe ultimately discoverable through reason alone, can only be a barren place, and the music sounding forth from such a w...
Aug 13, 2008•32 min
Episode 45: The arts as a catalyst for American democracy - Exploring the world of arts policy - Upcoming Events: teaching at Mark O'Connor's Strings Conference in San Diego through August 1, including a performance with Mark of his String Quartet No. 3 - Inquiries from my Inbox: Ray Randall asks, "Do you have any suggestions for amateur violinists about how we can practice better and play better?" - Random Musical Thought: "Practicing is teaching yourself." - A conversation with arts policy gur...
Jul 29, 2008•1 hr 11 min
Episode 44: Bringing sound to life - the violins of Jan Van Rooyen - Upcoming Events: Bravo! Vail Festival in Colorado - Hugo Wolf Italian Serenade for String Quartet on June 22, Raff String Octet and Mozart Duo for Violin and Viola in Bb on June 23 - Inquiries from my Inbox: Benjamin K. asks, "What are some of your latest repertoire discoveries?" - Random Musical Thought: How do you decide if your group is a "chamber ensemble" or a "band?" - A conversation with luthier Jan Van Rooyen. For more ...
Jul 23, 2008•40 min
Episode 43: Violinist.com, an online community for violin enthusiasts- Upcoming Events: Bravo! Vail Festival in Colorado - Danzi Flute Quartet with Eugenia Zukerman on June 21, Hugo Wolf Italian Serenade for String Quartet on June 22, Raff String Octet and Mozart Duo for Violin and Viola in Bb on June 23- Inquiries from my Inbox: a recorded question about participating in Celtic jam sessions from Tim from Pennsylvania- Random Musical Thought: the music of Liszt can be considered "Revolutionary" ...
Jul 16, 2008•31 min
Episode 42: Discovering the exotic flavors of Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole - Inquiries from my Inbox: Ron Gorthuis asks, "Do you give lessons?" - Random Musical Thought: Plato says, "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." - An exploration of Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole with Venezuelan violinist Jesus Florido. Jesus explains how to interpret the rhythms and where to put inflections. total playing time: 42:58 SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PODCAS...
Jul 08, 2008•43 min
Episode 41: Life without a conductor: a conversation with the New Century Chamber Orchestra. - Inquiries from my Inbox: Larry Samuels asks, "What makers and qualities do you look for in your violin bows?" - Random Musical Thought: Pop musician John Mayer compares Guitar Hero to "one of those amusement park cars on a track" whereas playing a real instrument is like driving "a Ferrari." - A conversation with members of New Century Chamber Orchestra, a conductor-less ensemble in California's Bay ar...
Jul 01, 2008•32 min
Episode 40: So you want to start a festival do you? - Inquiries from my Inbox: a violinist from Wisconsin asks, "When you said to practice the same amount every day, does that mean I shouldn't ever do any extra practicing?" - Random Musical Thought: Being "in" the music or being "above" the music. - Denis Brott, artistic director of the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, talks about how he started his festival, his programming ideas, what it takes to run the festival each year, combining Bach and ...
Jun 24, 2008•37 min
Episode 39: Music for Life! A revolutionary idea for classical concert presentation. - Upcoming Events: June 20 - benefit gala for Chicago's Suzuki-Orff School - Inquiries from my Inbox: A violinist from Wisconsin asks, "Is it better to sit or stand when practicing?" - Random Musical Thought: Are arrangements of rock songs performed on acoustic string instruments chamber music? - A conversation with Ars Viva's Alan Heatherington and Gayle Heatherington and the Music Institute of Chicago's Ted Ru...
Jun 18, 2008•19 min
Episode 38: Tips for making audio and video recordings for auditions - Upcoming Events: June 10 in San Francisco - works by Chevalier de Saint-Georges, George Walker, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, and Brahms as guest leader of the New Century Chamber Orchestra; June 14 at the Amelia Island Festival in Florida - German and French Baroque Sonatas with Trio Settecento and the Rheinberger Concerto for violin, cello, and organ - Inquiries from my Inbox: 11-year-old Nancy asks, "Do ever have any trouble...
Jun 10, 2008•24 min
Episode 37: Containing your clutter - tips for storing your sheet music - Upcoming Events: works by Chevalier de Saint-Georges, George Walker, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, and Brahms as guest leader of the New Century Chamber Orchestra: June 5 in Berkeley, June 6 in Palo Alto, June 8 in San Rafael, and June 10 in San Francisco - Inquiries from my Inbox: 11-year-old Nancy asks, "What do you use for a shoulder rest?" - Random Musical Thought: What if there canned music was played before and after c...
Jun 04, 2008•24 min
Episode 36: Plucking and bowing at the same time - one violinist sounds like two! - Inquiries from my Inbox: 12-year-old Becky asks, "How do you learn to pluck and play at the same time?" - Random Musical Thought: The unanswerable question, "How many concerts do you play each year?" - One of the coolest violin techniques ever invented - left-hand pizzicato and bowing simultaneously. Includes musical excerpts from Paganini's Caprice No. 24, Paganini's Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento Variations, Ernst's ...
Jun 03, 2008•24 min
Episode 35: Kirk Muspratt's innovative ideas about demystifying classical music - Upcoming Events: Montreal Chamber Music Festival: May 20 - Martinu Madrigals for violin and viola; May 21 - Bach's Goldberg Variations for string trio; May 22 - solo recital "From Mozart to Metallica": May 24 - Beethoven Marathon including the "Archduke" piano trio, Op. 95 string quartet, "Kreutzer" sonata, and Septet - Inquiries from my Inbox: Caitlin asks, "How can I fix my left-hand pinky?" - Random Musical Thou...
May 28, 2008•49 min
Episode 34: Tips for preparing for orchestral auditions - Upcoming Events: May 17 - Bruch Scottish Fantasy with the Puerto Rico Symphony - Inquiries from my Inbox: Bruce asks, “Is it unusual for a soloist like yourself to have put in a lot of time as an orchestral player?” - Random Musical Thought: Theologian Marcus J. Borg said, “Being part of a community that hears words and music from hundreds and even thousands of years ago delivers us from the provincialism of the present.” - Tips for prepa...
May 13, 2008•22 min
Episode 33: Tips for the day of a competition or an audition - Upcoming Events: May 10 - performance at benefit gala for Chicago’s Ars Viva Symphony - Inquiries from my Inbox: Bill asks, “Why did you choose to change the tempo between the AC/DC and your own pieces?? - Random Musical Thought: Why weren’t any classical musicians included in the recent internet gossip story about musicians caught picking their noses? - Tips for the day of a competition or an audition: concentrate on playing your be...
May 07, 2008•23 min
Episode 32: Tips for preparing for competitions and auditions - Upcoming events: April 25 and 26 - Beethoven Concerto with the New Philharmonic in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, April 27 - recital with pianist Matthew Hagle in Lake Forest, Illinois (music of Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Ravel)- Inquiries From My Inbox: A violinist from the Columbus (Georgia) Symphony asks, "What's that fuzzy stuff on your chinrest?" - Random Musical Thought: Albert Schweitzer says "There are two means of refuge from ...
Apr 23, 2008•31 min
Episode 31: Some of my favorite books about music and why I love them - Upcoming events: April 17 - Beethoven Concerto with the Northwest Indiana Symphony, April 18 – English Baroque music with the period instrument ensemble Callipygian Players in Chicago, April 19 – Mendelssohn Concerto with the 100th Anniversary Alumni Orchestra at Lane Tech High School in Chicago, April 20 - English Baroque music with the period instrument ensemble Callipygian Players in Skokie, IL - Random Musical Thought: F...
Apr 15, 2008•20 min
Episode 30: Teaching yourself to become a great improvisor! - Upcoming Events: April 14 - chamber music by Poulenc, Villa-Lobos, Hahn, Turina, and Francaix with the Jupiter Chamber Players in New York City - Random Musical Thought: Cellist Zuill Bailey says: "I find a majority of concerts in classical music similar to going to an aquarium…" - A conversation with Philip Pan, concertmaster of the Jacksonville Symphony. Philip discusses how he went from being a strictly classical musician to becomi...
Apr 08, 2008•27 min
Episode 29: More tips about memorization and preparing for chamber music rehearsals - Upcoming events: April 7 – master class at Crown Point High School in Northwest Indiana- Inquiries From My Inbox: CuciucGriga asks, "Where did you study?" - Random Musical Thought: Why does Henle clutter up its “urtext? editions with too many editorial suggestions?- More tips about memorization: re-memorizing a piece you’ve played before (especially if you change fingerings or bowings), memorizing dynamics and ...
Apr 01, 2008•13 min
Episode 28: What in the world is Neo-Classical Metal? - Upcoming events: March 25 - special concert with violinist/composer Mark O'Connor and Irish fiddler Liz Carroll at the Chicago Cultural Center, March 29 - Dvorak Concerto with the Columbus Symphony (GA) - Inquiries From My Inbox: many people ask, "Why is your chinrest in the middle of the violin?" - Random Musical Thought: Violinists and violists are less fortunate than most other instrumentalists because we can't wear necklaces or dangling...
Mar 25, 2008•44 min
Episode 27: Mozart's amazing Violin and Viola Duos with guest violist Eric Nowlin- Upcoming Events: March 18 - Haydn Seven Last Words of Christ at the University of Chicago’s Rockefeller Chapel with homilies by eight different faith leaders and speakers (with violinist Mathias Tacke and violist Richard Young from the Vermeer Quartet and cellist Wendy Warner), March 20, 21 and 22 - Corigliano's Red Violin Chaconne and Ravel's Tzigane with the Jacksonville Symphony (FL)- Inquires From My Inbox: so...
Mar 18, 2008•26 min
Episode 26: Preparing for chamber music rehearsals - how to expedite the process - Upcoming Events: March 18 Haydn Seven Last Words of Christ at the University of Chicago’s Rockefeller Chapel with homilies by eight different faith leaders and speakers (with violinist Mathias Tacke and violist Richard Young from the Vermeer Quartet and cellist Wendy Warner) - Inquires From My Inbox: Fastopen asks "Who is your violin luthier?" - Random Musical Thought: I believe that musicians who are full of grea...
Mar 11, 2008•25 min
- Inquires From My Inbox: Caveman147 asks "Do you use the same violin when you play Sweet Home Chicago?" - Random Musical Thought: Why can't you buy embroidered patches of classical composers or performers? - All about the viola d'amore: its construction, its history, what it sounds like, how it's tuned, learning how to play it, famous composers who wrote for it, and where to call for information about buying one. To learn more about the viola d'amore, you can visit: The Viola d'amore Society of...
Mar 04, 2008•18 min
- Upcoming Events: Feb. 28 panel discussion at the American String Teachers Association convention in Albuquerque; March 3 chamber music performances in New York City (Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Spohr) - Inquires From My Inbox: Fiddlerfrank asks "Will you be recording the Bach 6 Sonatas and Partitas soon?" - Random Musical Thought: Excerpt from violist Richard Young's book "Echoes from Calvary" - Memorization: How to be confident that your piece of music is programmed into in your muscles and refle...
Feb 26, 2008•11 min
Violinist Rachel Barton Pine describes the dramatic circumstances of Tchaikovsky's life that directly impacted the composition of his violin concerto and its initial negative reception. Also mentioned are the cuts and additions perpetrated by Leopold Auer. Includes many musical examples. playing time: 20:36 SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PODCAST ON I-TUNES! Do you have a question you'd like Rachel to answer on her podcast? Just send your question via text or as an MP3 attachment to: rachelbartonpine@aol.com ...
Jan 28, 2008•27 min
Violinist Rachel Barton Pine talks with legendary pianist Ralph Berkowitz, age 97. Mr. Berkowitz shares stories about his life in music including his many years as collaborator to cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, directing the Tanglewood Festival, and the private premiere of the Barber Violin Concerto at which he was present. This conversation was recorded at Mr. Berkowitz's home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on November 18, 2007. playing time: 15:23 SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PODCAST ON I-TUNES! Do you have a ...
Jan 12, 2008•21 min
