StringOvation Music Blog

Artist Profile: Scottish Violinist Nicola Benedetti

Violinist Nicola Benedetti is the rare contemporary classical musician who’s achieved a fair amount of popular celebrity outside the world of classical music. Certainly, in her home country of Great Britain, she’s an easily recognizable face. Her 2014 album, “Homecoming; A Scottish Fantasy,” made her the first solo British violinist to land in the Top 20 of the Official U.K. Albums Chart. Her 2012 album, “The Silver Violin,” was the first classical record in decades to enter the top 30 pop charts in the United Kingdom.

Artists

10 Fall Music Performances Not To Miss

he editors at StringOvation have made a list of ten fall music events you won’t want to miss. Check out one of these great performances near you and get inspired!

Artists

Stories Behind The Greatest Classical Compositions: Rossini's William Tell Overture

Gioachino Rossini, composer of such operatic masterpieces as “The Barber of Seville” and “Otello,” believed his last opera – “William Tell” – was his crowning achievement. Alas, the four-hour opera, first performed in Paris on August 3, 1829, was not a hit. In the weird way of the world, its afterthought of an overture has become one of the world's most well-known works.

Artists

Artist Profile: Israeli Jazz Bassist Avishai Cohen

Avishai Cohen is a composer and bass musician who’s performed all over the world for nearly 20 years. Born on a kibbutz in Israel to a musical family with roots reaching back to Poland, Spain, and Greece, Avishai has developed a unique sound while constantly innovating. One critic at the “Make Weird Music” website describes Avishai’s sound this way:

Artists

Artist Profile: Violinist Benjamin Beilman

While still only in his twenties, violinist Benjamin Beilman has created quite a name for himself. His debut album, Spectrum, came out in March 2016, although he earlier performed Prokofiev’s complete sonata for violin for a recording in 2011. The New York Times describes his ascent: “Mr. Beilman’s handsome technique, burnished sound and quiet confidence…showed why he has come so far so fast.”

Artists

Secret Stories Behind The Greatest Classical Compositions: Schubert's “Unfinished Symphony”

Franz Schubert is primarily known for his piano sonatas and chamber music, and deservedly so. Yet his most famous single work is a symphony. Well, a partial symphony anyway: his “Unfinished Symphony.”

Artists

Artist Profile: Electronic Cellist Tina Guo

Tina Guo is a prolific cellist – and renaissance woman! If you haven’t heard her name, you’ve certainly heard her music. She plays both acoustic and electric cello. Her sample library of cellos solos is one of the most popular with producers, and heard in numerous media music projects. Tina’s live performance schedule is also filled with popular media and events. Some of her notable contemporary music performances include performing with

Artists

Amazing Facts About Franz Joseph Haydn

Sometimes called the “Father of Symphony” or the “Father of the String Quartet,” Franz Joseph Haydn’s pivotal role in birthing the Classical Era is unquestioned. His influence on other masters like Beethoven and Mozart is common knowledge. You may think you know Haydn.

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Norwegian Violinist Vilde Frang

Vilde Frang has been an acclaimed violinist since she was a young girl in Oslo. She continues to rack up an impressive array of performances and recordings. The Guardian described the arch of her career as “prodigy to virtuoso,” and she’s not yet close to finished.

Artists

Amazing Facts About Verdi

More than a century after his death, Giuseppe Verdi’s operas remain some of the world’s most popular. Even a simple search on Operabase shows performances of numerous Verdi operas all over the world: La traviata in Denmark and Colorado, Nabucco in Slovakia and Berlin, Aida in Ohio and Hong Kong.

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