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A Beautiful Film About Horrifying Events: Lara St. John's Documentary 'Dear Lara'
On February 6, I had the pleasure of attending the premiere of the documentary film Dear Lara at the 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The film, by world-class violinist Lara St. John, explores sexual abuse and its repercussions in the classical music world.
As a violinist myself, I crossed paths with Lara many years ago, during our time as attendees of the ENCORE School for Strings in Hudson, Ohio in the mid-to-late 1980s. Last month's festival was actually the first time I had ever attended a film premiere, and the energy outside the theater on State Street was undeniable.
As I arrived that evening, I felt a bit conflicted. After all, it was exciting to be attending such a premiere, and I was pleased to see Lara in her element, looking fabulous, and appearing thrilled about this important event. However, I also was well aware of the difficult subject matter that would be covered in this documentary, and I wasn’t sure if I should be enjoying myself in this moment.
Though I had seen a trailer earlier that day, I didn’t know quite what to expect from the documentary. I anticipated some back story of Lara’s childhood and a recounting of the horrible sexual assaults she endured, followed by a series of stories about other victims of sexual abuse.
I was not expecting the degree of personal and artistic immersion that Lara brought to this documentary, nor that her expertise in film-making would be on par with her expertise as a violinist. Not only did Lara direct the film, but she also composed and performed original music for the documentary — riveting music, and beautifully performed by Lara. She also conducted all of the film's interviews, including several victims and administrators of various institutions.
In the end, I was deeply moved by this film, and I was struck by its engaging arc, its beauty, and how effective and compelling the flow was, especially given the difficult subject matter. In short, my overwhelming feeling as the credits rolled was that this was a truly beautiful film about horrifying events.
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Interview with Isabelle Faust: Schumann's Otherworldly Violin Concerto
I've been a fan of violinist Isabelle Faust for a long time.
She is one of the finest violinists out there, with a career that has spanned some 40 years. She quietly has built a strong solo career and impressive discography that includes some 50+ recordings of absolutely stunning quality, often with her longtime chamber partner, pianist Alexander Melnikov.
If you hear her 2010 recording of the Bartok solo sonata, she seems to be an expert in contemporary music. If you hear her just-released recording of Mozart Sonatas with classical period instruments, you might assume she is a Mozart specialist. Same for her recordings of Locatelli, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Stravinsky, Schoenberg...the list is long. I fell completely in love with her playing, listening to her 2008 recording of the Fauré sonata (the second movement especially) - a fabulous performance by a great pair of artists. I was mesmerized from the start.
I long have wanted to hear Isabelle Faust in live performance, and at last I will get the chance when she comes to the United States this month for two pairs of concerts on opposite sides of the country: first performing the Robert Schumann Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Dinis Sousa (March 12 and 14, more info here), then Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Kevin John Edusei (March 19 and 21, more information here).
In anticipation of her visit here, I enjoyed a wide-ranging interview with Isabelle via Zoom. We talked about her youth as the daughter of two enthusiastic amateurs, her very early experience in a serious childhood string quartet, going from second violinist to concert soloist, and her thoughts on Robert Schumann's lost-and-found violin concerto, one of the troubled composer's final pieces.
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Pictures at an Exhibit Floor: ASTA/SAA 2026 Conference
One of the most interesting things about last week's ASTA/SAA Conference (for the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA)) is the exhibit floor, which this year featured almost 100 exhibitors.
It was a little like a violinist's dream mall, where every store has accessories, books, new inventions and generally cool stuff just for musicians - and particularly for violinists, violists, cellists and bassists and their teachers.
And with some some 4,000 educators, performers, and exhibitors attending the conference, it was a busy mall! Here are some of the highlights:
KorfkerSpring Chin Rest
The German-based Pirastro company - which we know for Evah Pirazzi Strings (the new Neos!) - had brought its newest innovation: the "KorfkerSpring" chin rest. Pirastro's Ed Mingo helped me put this on a violin (borrowed from Southwest Strings booth - many thanks!). I think it's safe to say that it is completely unlike any other chin rest ever invented!
Suzuki Recordings - Available for Streaming?
Alfred teams up with Fons for access to the Suzuki recordings.
Alfred Publishing, which holds the rights on all the Suzuki music and recordings, offered some news at the conference. Responding to Suzuki teachers who have been frustrated that the Suzuki recordings are difficult to obtain and unavailable on basic streaming platforms, they will now be available for streaming on a platform called Fons, a paid studio management online portal. The selling points: access to the music and recordings, adjustable playback tempos, and the portal as a means of managing one's studio. But it's primarily a studio management platform. Suzuki teachers can get a deal that allows a six-month trial, after which there is a monthly payment of $20 (if I understood correctly). Another option: go old school like me and just buy the CDs of the latest recordings by Hilary Hahn (Books 1-3) and Augustin Hadelich (Books 4-6)) - I found those links here.
Walking the Floor
I did not make it to everyone's booth - but I made it to a good number of them! Here are just a few highlights from several of my trips across the exhibit floor:
Here's one of the first things I saw - what is it? A Blooming Bass? What a wonderful creation, by Marguerite Salajko of Southwest Strings! (Don't worry, no basses were hurt!)
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The Week in Reviews, Op. 539: Tracy Silverman, Augustin Hadelich, Veronika Eberle
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. Click on the highlighted links to read the entire reviews.
Tracy Silverman performed the world premiere of Daniel Bernard Roumain's concerto for six-string electric violin and orchestra, "America, To US," with the Oakland Symphony.
- San Francisco Classical Voice: "Silverman brought all the virtuosity of a romantic showpiece to this new instrument, transforming it into something both wholly new and uncannily familiar. Particularly striking was his off-the-string playing, where the grittiness of his bouncing bow, distorted by the pedals, took on a percussive edge."
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