Editorís letterThis October in The Strad we celebrate the

ContributorsEDWINBARKER (Opinion, page 23) is a double bassist

SOUNDPOSTLetters, emails, online comments

Hair today, gone tomorrowNews and events from around the world this month

NEWS IN BRIEFDAMIÁN POSSE PHOTOGRAPHY Alexandra Tirsu loaned Ida Haendel’s

OBITUARIESMARIE LEONHARDT Swiss–Dutch violinist Marie Leonhardt died on

Scotland UniteAn all-Scottish team joins together for a light-hearted quintet

COMPETITIONSSydney Lee 1 Korean–American cellist Sydney Lee, 25,

Au naturelVIOLIN AND VIOLA CASE

Life lessonsThe American violist, a long-standing mainstay of the Kronos Quartet, discusses his enduring love for chamber music

Music from the fjordsHarriet Smith takes a boat deep into Norway’s west-coast waterways to experience a Beethoven-inspired festival held in a spectacular setting 

STEPPING INTO THE SPOTLIGHTDouble bassist Rick Stotijn is a musical pioneer, playing in every style and context from solo, chamber and orchestral music to rock and metal. He speaks to Kimon Daltas about his new album, his continuing quest for the original, and the importance of mentorship

THE LONG PATTERNIn the 18th and 19th centuries, double basses made in Vienna had distinctive shapes and characteristics that gave them tremendous sound quality. Bass maker and restorer Alex Kanzian examines the evolution of these instruments, and how they differ from the norm

INVITATION TO THE DANCEThe influence of fiddle dance music that emerged in 18thcentury Scotland still echoes through the reels and strathspeys of today. Aaron McGregor explores the legacy of the players, composers and publishers who helped create this golden age

RETURNED TO HER RIGHTFUL PLACEViolinist Rachel Barton Pine and conductor Jonathon Heyward speak to Harry White about recording Florence Price’s lost-and-found late work, the Second Violin Concerto

STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWDIn a world that seems to value homogeneous perfection, how do you develop an individual voice on your instrument? Charlotte Gardner speaks to some of today’s top soloists to find out

The Australian CollectionThe Strad Calendar 2023 showcases twelve fine instruments owned or played by Australians. Christian Lloyd takes a look at the treasures to be found Down Under

RAFFO CIPRIANIIN FOCUS

Making a cello and bass mouldTRADE SECRETS

MY SPACEA peek into lutherie workshops around the world

Artistic licence and the ‘true violin’MAKING MATTERS

DEBUSSY CELLO SONATAMASTERCLASS

Knuckling downTECHNIQUE

CONCERTSYour monthly critical round-up of performances, recordings and

RECORDINGSRETHINKING BACH BACH Goldberg Variations (arr. Jiménez) Jorge

BOOKS75 Years on 4 Strings: The Life and

From the ARCHIVEUnder the heading ‘Hot Hands’, readers attempt to help a novice player with that affliction in The Strad’s ‘Correspondence’ section

IN THE NEXT ISSUENORTH AMERICA FOCUS Emerson Quartet The veteran ensemble,

NOBUKO IMAIThe Japanese violist recalls how playing Mozart’s Symphony no.40 under Pablo Casals proved a life-changing experience and gave a vivid insight into the mind of a master musician