Episode 81: Yes You Can! How to Easily Make Your Own Arrangement of a Rock or Pop Song for String Ensemble Upcoming Events: August 13 – master class for the Sphinx Performance Academy at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, August 17 and 18 – Paganini 24 Caprices at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL, August 26 – chamber music by Chinese…

Episode 80: Hale be Your Heart! Hale Be Your Fiddle! Upcoming Events: July 30-August 4 – guest teacher at the Jink and Diddle School of Scottish Fiddling in Banner Elk, NC, August 10 – memorial tribute concert for luthier Carl Becker in Chicago, August 17 and 18 – Paganini 24 Caprices at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL Inquiries from my I…

Episode 79: Making Fun WITH the Music: Aleksey Igudesman Upcoming Events: July 16 – faculty performance at the Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp in Olathe, KS, July 20 – Earthen Grave at the Metroplex Heavy Fest in Dallas, July 21-24 teaching at Le Domaine Forget in Quebec, July 28 – Vieuxtemps 5 for Music in the Mountains in Durango, CO, July 29-Augus…

Episode 78: Impromptu – Lullabies and More Upcoming Events: July 5 and 6 – recitals with pianist Arnon Erez in Israel (Bach, Achron, Bloch, Franck), July 10 and 11 – Vieuxtemps Concerto No. 5 and Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending with the Israel Chamber Orchestra in Tel Aviv, July 13 – Vieuxtemps Concerto No. 5 at the Masterworks Festival in Wino…

Episode 77: Writing Women Back Into Music History! Upcoming Events: June 20 – performance with pianist Matthew Hagle for WFMT’s Impromptu; June 22 – with Earthen Grave for Days of the Doomed near Milwaukee, Wisconsin; June 28 – master class for the Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Door County, Wisconsin; June 30 – free children’s program at …

Episode 76: Yes, It Really Existed! Meet the Shoulder Cello Upcoming Events: June 14 – Bach Six Sonatas for Violin and Keyboard with harpsichordist Paul Cienniwa at the Boston Early Music Festival Inquiries from my Inbox: Robert asks: “Is the page turner the only ‘on stage’ position in the music industry that it is proper to totally ignore?” Random…

Episode 75: To Memorize or Not To Memorize, That is the Question Upcoming Events: May 25 – Six Bach Violin Concertos for the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, May 30 – Bartok Concerto No. 2 with the Gottingen Symphony in Germany, June 1 – recital with pianist Matthew Hagle in Montpelier, Vermont (sonatas by Beethoven, Mohammed Fairouz, and Strauss, …

Episode 74: Violin Lullabies, part 2 Upcoming Events: May 9 – performance on WGN’s Noon News, May 11 – Vieuxtemps Concerto No. 5 and Saint-Saens Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso with the Illinois Valley Symphony, May 17 – Trio Settecento in Ames, Iowa (works by Stradella, Marini, Legrenzi, Corelli, Geminiani, Locatelli, and Veracini), May 18 – re…

Episode 73: Violin Lullabies, part 1 Upcoming Events: April 27 – Mendelssohn Concerto with the Lafayette Symphony in Indiana, April 28 – Biber Mystery Sonatas No. 5 and 10 for the Bloomington Early Music Festival in Indiana, May 2 – recital for the San Diego State University’s Jewish Studies Program in California (works by Bloch, Achron, Yale Strom…

Episode 72: No Guts, No Glory: Master Stringmaker Dan Larsen Upcoming Events: April 12 and 14 – Vivaldi Four Seasons and Vivaldi Concerto in D Major for Viola d’Amore with Boise Baroque in Idaho, April 13 – lecture on the history of the violin at Boise State University, April 16 – master class at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, April 20 – …

Episode 71: Barely Controlled Chaos – Maestro Michael Morgan Upcoming Events: April 4 – master class and viola d’amore lecture/demo for the Juilliard School’s Historical Performance program Inquiries from my Inbox: Philip writes: “I honestly believe that the modern violinists exceed both the musical and technical abilities of the old (I am sure you…

Episode 70: Fiesta! Rachel Barton Pine’s CD Capricho Latino, part 2 Upcoming Events: March 21 and 22 – Bruch Scottish Fantasy and Mackenzie Pibroch Suite with the Orchestra de Bretagne in Rennes, France, March 23 – master class for the Rennes Conservatory Inquiries from my Inbox: Steve writes, “I'm really curious which rosin you use.” Dierdra asks,…

Episode 69: Fiesta! Rachel Barton Pine’s CD Capricho Latino, part 1 Upcoming Events: February 29 – at the American String Teachers Association national conference in Providence, Rhode Island (presentation with Dr. Roland Vamos “Fixed Double-Stops: A Neglected Area of Double-Stop Work”, Carl Fischer book signing, speech and performance with Mark O’C…

Episode 68: Emoting with the Fiddle – Klezmer Violinist Yale Strom Upcoming Events: February 13 – master class for the Youth Rock Orchestra in Little Rock, Arkansas, February 14 – recital with pianist Matthew Hagle in Little Rock, Arkansas (works by Beethoven, Villa-Lobos, William Grant Still, and Strauss), February 17 – recital with pianist Matthe…

Episode 67: Native Informant – Composer Mohammed Fairouz Upcoming Events: February 2 – concert with the New York Chamber Soloists Orchestra in St. Augustine, Florida (works by Paganini, Bach, Albeniz, Piazzola, and Mozart), February 8 – recital with pianist Matthew Hagle in Montpelier, Vermont (works by Beethoven, Villa-Lobos, Mohammed Fairouz, and…

Episode 66: Musical Passions, part 2 Upcoming Events: January 19 – Mendelssohn Concerto with the New Mexico Philharmonic in Albuquerque, January 27 – Paganini 24 Caprices at the Phillips Collection and National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC Inquiries from my Inbox: Hannah asks: “How important do you think it is to have an urtext edition as oppos…

Episode 65: Musical Passions, part 1 Upcoming Events: January 12 – Sibelius Concerto with the Sacramento Philharmonic, January 13 – guest appearance with the Chamber Music Society of Sacramento (Chausson Concerto for violin, piano and string quartet, and Suk Bagatela “With Nosegay in Hand” for violin, flute and piano) Inquiries from my Inbox: Eliza…

Episode 64: Gorgeous Melodies in a Strange Structure – The Glazunov Violin Concerto Upcoming Events: July 12 – with the New York Chamber Soloists in Stowe, VT (Bach, Paganini, Mozart, Albeniz, Piazzola), July 15 – “Classical Heavy Metal” late night chamber music in Ottawa, Ontario, July 16 – recital with Menahem Pressler in Ottawa, Ontario (Mozart,…

Episode 63: The Violin’s Awesome Medieval Ancestors, the Rebec and Vielle! Upcoming Events: June 16 – Trio Settecento live on WGBH, June 17 – Trio Settecento at the Boston Early Music Festival, June 27-29 – Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camp at Berklee College in Boston, July 4 – Barber Concerto with the Orquesta Filamonica de Montevideo in Uruguay Inquirie…

Episode 62: “Blues and High Spirits” - Rachel Barton Pine on St. Paul SundayUpcoming Events: May 26 – Chausson Concerto at the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, May 28 – Arensky Piano Trio No. 1 and Tchaikovsky Souvenir de Florence at the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, June 3 – recording Montsalvatge’s Poema concertante with the NDR in Hanover, Ge…

Episode 61: String Instrument Care 101 Upcoming Events: May 7 – Brahms Concerto with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, May 14 – Brahms Concerto with the Shreveport Symphony in Louisiana, May 15 – chamber music for the Norton Building Concert Series in Lockport, IL, May 19 – Brahms Concerto with the Monterrey Symphony in Mexico, May 22 – recital i…

Episode 60: Why are you holding the violin like THAT? The surprising true story of early violin playing Upcoming Events: April 19 - Haydn Seven Last Words of Christ in Chicago, April 23 - master class for the Music Institute of Chicago's Academy program, April 29 - master class and heavy metal concert at North Central College in Naperville, IL, Apr…

Episode 59: Interaction! A Revolutionary Approach to Connecting with and Captivating Your Audience Upcoming Events: April 2 - Trio Settecento in a program of 17th Century English music at the Presbyterian Church of Barrington in Illinois, April 9 - Clement Concerto with the Netherlands Radio Kamer Filharmonie at the Concertgebouw, broadcast live on…

Episode 58: Can playing rock music on your string instrument actually be ... gasp ... good for you? Upcoming Events: February 11 - Tchaikovsky Concert with the Bilkent Symphony in Ankara, Turkey, February 13 and 14 - Trio Settecento at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, DC, February 23 and 24 - Glazunov Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony, February 2…

Episode 57: Scotland's Music - a radio program with John Purser Upcoming Events: January 22 - Beethoven Concerto with the Riverside County Philharmonic in California, January 29 - Brahms Concerto with the Springfield Symphony in Massachusetts, February 5 - Ravel's Tzigane and Mozart Concerto No. 5 with the Springfield Symphony in Missouri. Inquirie…

Episode 56: When hard work and talent aren't enough - the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation is here to help! Upcoming Events: January 15 and 16 - Beethoven Concerto with the Illinois Philharmonic, January 16 - appearance at the Chicago Music Awards. Please visit http://martinsinterculture.com/cma-nominees.html by December 31 and vote for me in Cat…

Episode 55: An American Masterpiece: The Samuel Barber Violin Concerto Inquiries from my Inbox: Michael asks, "Hi Rachel. Random question of the day... What type of violin case do you use?" Random Musical Thought: As you consider your year-end charitable giving, please remember the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation, which is enhancing the lives of…

Episode 54: Seven cool new pieces for unaccompanied violin! Upcoming events: November 27 - Barber Concerto with the Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira in Rio de Janeiro, November 28 and 29 - Barber Concerto with the Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira and Maestro Roberto Minczuk in Sao Paolo, December 2 - unaccompanied recital for Bargemusic in Brooklyn, Ne…

Episode 53: The beautiful science of strings Upcoming events: January 24 - private performance in West Palm Beach, Florida, January 28 - private soiree in Chicago, January 30 - master class at Virginia Commonwealth University, January 31 - recital at Virginia Commonwealth University (works of Dvorak, Brahms, Corigliano, Bauer, Gilbert, and Sousa) I…

Episode 52: Getting the scoop on Franz Clement from a renowned British musicologist Upcoming events: January 10 - recital at the El Paso Festival, January 15 - master class at Centerville High School in Dayton, Ohio, January 16 and 17 - Roque Cordero Concerto with the Dayton Philharmonic Inquiries from my Inbox: Vicki writes, "Later next month I am…

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 i…

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 e…

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 Pla…

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 …

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 gam…

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 transc…

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…

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?" …

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 questio…

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…

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 in…

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 Ch…

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 str…

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 …

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 In…

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 p…

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, O…

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 c…

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 recen…

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 (Geo…