elbowmusic
120 FOLLOWERS
Journalist, copywriter, editor and consultant specialising in classical music. I am passionate about all forms of music and art, positively geeky about string music and stringed instruments, and zealous about good writing and story telling, particularly when it comes to finding new audiences for music.
elbowmusic
3w ago
Rachel Barton Pine has one of the most eclectic, unconventional and interesting careers of all violinists – whether playing thrash-metal ..read more
elbowmusic
3w ago
My interview with Vilde Frang for the cover of the November issue of BBC Music Magazine has just come out, as she releases her ..read more
elbowmusic
2M ago
Two weeks of music, sun, wine and good company in France? Yes, please! Summer festivals are one of the perks of being a classical ..read more
elbowmusic
3M ago
INTERVIEW Making mistakes, giving everything and leaving ego at the door: concertmaster Andrej Power offers his insights into the skills and commitment required to lead an orchestra
Violinist Andrej Power became the youngest ever leader of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014 at the tender age of 25, and now leads the London Symphony Orchestra. I spoke to him recently for my article in the August issue of BBC Music Magazine about the experience of age and ageing in classical music, but he also had a lot of great advice and insight about orchestral playing and leadershi ..read more
elbowmusic
3M ago
ARCHIVE On what would have been the 100th birthday of the legendary cellist János Starker, I revisit the interviews he gave me – and some of his very frank opinions
I consider myself the luckiest classical music journalist in the world to have had the privilege of interviewing some of the greatest string players in the world over the last 20 years, many of them my own personal heroes.
My memories and cassette recordings become even more valuable once these people are no longer with us. Interviews are an important way of passing on their thoughts, and wisdom accrued. We have CD recordings b ..read more
elbowmusic
4M ago
Edward Dusinberre describes the benefits of ageing, offers advice to students about how to find their own sound and explains why talking is over-rated
I spoke to Edward Dusinberre, first violinist of the Takács Quartet, for an article in the August issue of BBC Music Magazine that offers different perspectives on the ageing process for classical musicians. There was too much to include, so here are some of the extra insights he offered. I’m going to start calling this strand of interviews ‘Outtakes’!
How do you feel your playing now compares with when you joined the quartet?
I think ..read more
elbowmusic
5M ago
Behind Heifetz’s crooked smile; Gould’s Last Resort practice technique; Auer on truth and beauty; Leopold Mozart pits orchestral players against soloists; and the problem with music colleges
I spent a day at the Barbican Music Library last week, scouring artists’ autobiographies for quotations about their own sense of mortality and age for my next BBC Music Magazine article, and (being on deadline) I couldn’t help but be distracted by all the, well, books. So I thought I’d share a few random but interesting quotes I came across along the way.
Behind Heifetz’s crooked smile
I’ve never s ..read more
elbowmusic
6M ago
OPINION: Far from its reputation as exclusive, classical music is often itself excluded from mainstream culture. As more young people come to it through digital paths, is this starting to change?
The BBC Proms programme is out and there have been the usual backlashes and backlashes to the backlashes. Why? Because there is quite a lot of music that isn’t classical: disco, pop, lounge, jazz, Dr Who. Do I care? Not one bit. There’s still a huge array of top-notch classical highlights, whether from young social-media-savvy stars or old blue-chip greats. I may not like Sam Smith particular ..read more
elbowmusic
7M ago
A week in the magical musical bubble of St Endellion’s Easter Festival offered a hopeful vision of grass-roots classical music in the UK
It’s easy to feel despondent about the future of classical music. Incessant stories of stringent cuts, bad policies and shameless politics lead to a certain existential despair. Tellingly, Richard Morrison’s interesting new BBC radio series surveying the landscape is entitled A Land Without Music, after music critic Oscar Schmitz’s diagnosis. But let me tell you about my Easter holiday. You might think me a Polyanna, but what I experienced was a quintesse ..read more
elbowmusic
8M ago
The world’s busiest violinist offers his thoughts on a life in music, including how to play naturally, getting on with conductors, dealing with nerves and social media, and avoiding caffeine and sugar
Augustin Hadelich is one of today’s supreme violinists, perfectly balancing intellect, emotion and soul, all with a vast palette of sound and superb taste. It’s not surprising, therefore, that he’s also the busiest, according to Bachtrack, or that he references Norbert Brainin and David Oistrakh among his influences. I interviewed him for the front cover of the March issue of The Strad, and ..read more