Cellist Sol Daniel Kim’s most direct connection to musicianship – genetics – isn’t uncommon. Many of the string musicians we profile have accomplished musicians as parents. In Kim’s case, however, his mother was a famous opera singer, and we can’t help but wonder if this is the reason his cello music seems to sing with a deeper and more expressive voice than other young, professional cellists.
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Niccolò Paganini is well-known to anyone who has even thought about picking up a violin. Yet how well do you really know this composer and violin maestro? Paganini was a towering figure who lived an extraordinary life – whose catalogue of intriguing details can't fully be recounted here. We can, however, get that list started. Here are eight fascinating secrets about Paganini.
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Myth: Classical string musicians are boxed-in – just another concert-dressed musician among a sea of other concert-dressed musicians – with little ability for self-expression.
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Often, the string musicians we “spotlight” here at StringOvation were born into professional music families - for example, bassist Charnett Moffett and violist Tabea Zimmerman. These individuals were launched into their professional string musicians from a young age. That wasn’t the case for the Russian-born violinist, Philippe Quint. In fact, until his teen years, Philippe was determined to become a soccer star or a professional chess player. He even fantasized about a career as an astronaut.
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Previously, we posted an Artist Spotlight featuring Damien Escobar – a non-traditional violinist with classical music training that serves as a foundation for his hip-hop inspired music. Today, we're featuring Black Violin – a dynamic duo who also use their exceptional musicianship to produce a mashup of both classical and hip-hop genres. The group consists of viola player Wilner Baptiste (Wil B.) and violinist Kevin Sylvester (Kev Marcus).
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August 25, 2018, is the centennial of Leonard Bernstein's birthday and the entire world is celebrating! In fact, the world has officially been celebrating this cultural giant's 100th birthday since August 25, 2017, and the global festivities are scheduled to continue through August 25, 2019. That’s right. It takes two full years to celebrate Bernstein’s 100th birthday with the full honors the legendary composer, conductor, pianist, and teacher is due.
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What do you think about when you envision the life of a famous violinist? Odds are, you don't picture American violinist Damien Escobar’s path. While many of the typical "professional violinist" boxes are checked – Julliard grad, multiple awards and becoming world-famous; there are plenty of other boxes that don't often make the list - inner-city origins, previously homeless, master of four-letter words.
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Summer is a time ripe for traveling, exploring, and enjoying. As a musician, you have many opportunities to garner inspiration from the plethora of music festivals happening across the country – and Europe. If you are staying within the U.S. this summer, you may want to attend the performance of one of these six amazing musicians.
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If you're a regular StringOvation reader, you already know a bit about German violist Tabea Zimmermann. In our recent post, 5 Habits of Celebrity Violists, Zimmermann shared some of her tips for getting rid of those pesky stage jitters.
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Like many artists (cellist Yo Yo Ma, bassist Giovanni Bottessini, violinist Janine Jansen) bassist Charnett Moffett was born into a musical family. His father, Charles Moffett, played drums for Ornette Coleman - a jazz legend. In fact, Charnett's name is a hybridized version of both his father's and Ornette's.
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Cellist Sol Daniel Kim’s most direct connection to musicianship – genetics – isn’t uncommon. Many of the string musicians we profile have accomplished musicians as parents. In Kim’s case, however, his mother was a famous opera singer, and we can’t help but wonder if this is the reason his cello music seems to sing with a deeper and more expressive voice than other young, professional cellists.
Read More
Niccolò Paganini is well-known to anyone who has even thought about picking up a violin. Yet how well do you really know this composer and violin maestro? Paganini was a towering figure who lived an extraordinary life – whose catalogue of intriguing details can't fully be recounted here. We can, however, get that list started. Here are eight fascinating secrets about Paganini.
Read More
Myth: Classical string musicians are boxed-in – just another concert-dressed musician among a sea of other concert-dressed musicians – with little ability for self-expression.
Read More
Often, the string musicians we “spotlight” here at StringOvation were born into professional music families - for example, bassist Charnett Moffett and violist Tabea Zimmerman. These individuals were launched into their professional string musicians from a young age. That wasn’t the case for the Russian-born violinist, Philippe Quint. In fact, until his teen years, Philippe was determined to become a soccer star or a professional chess player. He even fantasized about a career as an astronaut.
Read More
Previously, we posted an Artist Spotlight featuring Damien Escobar – a non-traditional violinist with classical music training that serves as a foundation for his hip-hop inspired music. Today, we're featuring Black Violin – a dynamic duo who also use their exceptional musicianship to produce a mashup of both classical and hip-hop genres. The group consists of viola player Wilner Baptiste (Wil B.) and violinist Kevin Sylvester (Kev Marcus).
Read More
August 25, 2018, is the centennial of Leonard Bernstein's birthday and the entire world is celebrating! In fact, the world has officially been celebrating this cultural giant's 100th birthday since August 25, 2017, and the global festivities are scheduled to continue through August 25, 2019. That’s right. It takes two full years to celebrate Bernstein’s 100th birthday with the full honors the legendary composer, conductor, pianist, and teacher is due.
Read More
What do you think about when you envision the life of a famous violinist? Odds are, you don't picture American violinist Damien Escobar’s path. While many of the typical "professional violinist" boxes are checked – Julliard grad, multiple awards and becoming world-famous; there are plenty of other boxes that don't often make the list - inner-city origins, previously homeless, master of four-letter words.
Read More
Summer is a time ripe for traveling, exploring, and enjoying. As a musician, you have many opportunities to garner inspiration from the plethora of music festivals happening across the country – and Europe. If you are staying within the U.S. this summer, you may want to attend the performance of one of these six amazing musicians.
Read More
If you're a regular StringOvation reader, you already know a bit about German violist Tabea Zimmermann. In our recent post, 5 Habits of Celebrity Violists, Zimmermann shared some of her tips for getting rid of those pesky stage jitters.
Read More
Like many artists (cellist Yo Yo Ma, bassist Giovanni Bottessini, violinist Janine Jansen) bassist Charnett Moffett was born into a musical family. His father, Charles Moffett, played drums for Ornette Coleman - a jazz legend. In fact, Charnett's name is a hybridized version of both his father's and Ornette's.
Read More
