Musical DIY How to make a new violin concerto By Anne Akiko Meyers From Bow to Baton 4 soloists talk about their step up to the podium By Laurence Vittes Tribute to a Legend Cellist Terry King on the legacy of his mentor and teacher Gregor Piatigorsky By Laurence Vittes SPECIAL FOCUS Contemporary Instruments & Bows Whittle by Whittle How I learned patience, perseverance, and gratitude at Utah’s Violin Making School of America By Jenelle Steele Building Blocks The importance of wood choice & preparation in instrument making By Heather K. Scott 9 Carbon Characteristics Professional players discuss the benefits of ditching pernambuco By Heather K. Scott Editor’s Note News & Notes Remembering Pierre Boulez, 1925–2016; Composer Anna Clyne teams up with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for world premiere of new work; plus Milestones; 5 minutes with violinist Philippe Quint; and more First Person Overcoming focal dystonia required a new approach to left-hand technique Wise Words Bassist Joel Quarrington on his relaxed technique Strings 101 How to add sparkle and bite to your spiccato bow stroke Master Class Haydn’s String Quartet in D major, Op. 64, No. 5 is much more than its famous moniker Practical Musician How to prepare for performing outdoors Strings Trade ‘Star Wars’ violin stolen in San Francisco; violinist sues investor over Rogeri sale; Southern Violin Association meets this month; and more What’s in the Case? Pieter Wispelwey’s 1760 Guadagnini cello inspires unspeakable trust and confidence Your Instrument Cracks in your violin may appear, but many are preventable or repairable Ask the Expert Finding a good electric violin is just like finding a good acoustic violin—with a few key differences New Products Jarger teams up with Thomastik to introduce new powerful sets of strings; product update on D’Addario’s Kaplan solo bass strings; and more On Record Violinist Zina Schiff’s new album incorporates technical elements and conjures existential musings, and more In Print Sassmannshaus’ collection of viola pieces covers a breadth of works for the intermediate player, and more
