Violinist.com

V.com weekend vote: Do you prefer warmer or brighter strings?

January 19, 2020, 6:41 PM · How do you get what you want from your strings? Do you opt for warmer strings, or brighter strings? Or something halfway in between? Please participate in the vote, choosing the option that is closest to what you use for your most-used instrument, and then tell us all about it in the comments. What strings do you use? What is your aim in using them? How do your strings relate to the natural sound of your violin, and what are you trying to accomplish with your string choice? Or have you always used the same kind of strings and have not done much experimenting?

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Scenes from the NAMM Show 2020 in Anaheim

Laurie Niles

January 19, 2020, 3:46 PM · ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It's that time of year for the 2020 NAMM Show, the five-day gathering of the National Association of Music Merchants which attracts some 100,000 people from more than 120 countries and regions to the Anaheim Convention Center, right next to Disneyland. This year, to enhance the experience, Disneyland simultaneously had its huge opening for its new Star Wars ride, Rise of the Resistance -- what, you'd like to park here?

This didn't seem to detract from the huge event, which features hundreds of speakers, panels, performances and a massive showroom floor that focuses mostly on popular music, electronics and gear but still has its attractions for the acoustic string player (and those curious about electrifying the instrument!) I spent the Friday at the show, which runs through today. Keep reading...

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New at NAMM: Yamaha Introduces Fractional-Sized YVN Model 3 Violins and Silent Bass

Laurie Niles

January 16, 2020, 11:58 AM · How do you keep dozens of student violins from falling apart, when you run a school strings program or rent to children? And how do you keep your fleet of fiddles in good repair, when accidents and unfortunate incidents inevitably occur?

The exuberant student is what Yamaha had in mind when it developed its YVN Model 3 Violin, a durable violin created with the help of Computer-Assisted Design (CAD). The new violin won a Best in Show award when it was first introduced at last year’s NAMM Show, the music products convention presented by the National Association of Music Merchants. But last year, it came only in a full-size version -- not the smaller fractional-sizes used by younger children.

Today, on the first day of the 2020 NAMM Show in Anaheim, Calif., Yamaha introduced its fractional-sized editions of this work-horse violin, specifically 3/4- and 1/2-size, meant for use in school programs and rental pools. Yamaha also introduced its new Silent Bass, an electric upright bass that allows the performer to control the sound from the instrument itself with the press of a button.
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The Week in Reviews, Op. 305: Pekka Kuusisto; Alina Ibragimova; Augustin Hadelich; Itzhak Perlman

Laurie Niles

January 14, 2020, 2:25 PM · In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world.

Pekka Kuusisto performed the U.S. premiere of Nico Muhly's Violin Concerto "Shrink" with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Kuusisto's solo part bobbed and wove its way amid the pulsing textures of Muhly's opening movement, one moment interweaving with the accompaniment, the next cutting free with jagged motifs and angular lunges toward the top end of the instrument."
Pioneer Press: "...it was an absorbing work, and a difficult one impressively executed by Kuusisto and the orchestra."

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